Naruto: Redone
by OrangeGokage
Summary: After the Kyuubi's attack on the village, the Third Hokage decided it would be best for Jiraiya to take his godson, Naruto, and leave the village. Six years later, they return but the village has not forgotten that fateful night and realize Naruto is the Kyuubi's container. When Naruto wakes up in the hospital, his caretaker is gone. How will this change and affect Naruto?
1. Chapter 1

It was too late; the damage had already been done. The Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, waited for the chakra dome, made of the chakra chains that Kushina created due to her being an Uzumaki, to disappear before he made his way to the alter. The bodies of, both, Minato and Kushina laid there, lifeless and covered in blood. The only thing that was left from their struggle with the Kyuubi was Minato and Kushina's newly born child, Naruto. The elderly man tenderly held the boy in his arms, slowly rocking the infant back and forth in hopes to stop his crying.

"Lord Fourth chose his own son to be the vessel?" One of the ANBU asked in confusion.

Sarutobi nodded sadly. "Minato knew no one else would be able to survive the sealing of the Fox, only an infant has the innocence to handle such a horrible act."

"What do we do now, Lord Hokage?" A high ranking chunin questioned in solemn. "The village is in ruins and without Lord Fourth guiding us, what will happen now?"

The, now unretired, Hokage thought in silence while cradling the infant blond in his arms. "The Will of Fire will not burn out from this one tragedy, we will recover. But, for now, I must tend young Naruto here."

"You're going to deal with a mere child before the village?" The chunin questioned again, sounding harsher then he intended.

"This child is a hero, without him none of us would be here right now. You will give him the respect he deserves." Sarutobi shot back. The chunin lowered his head and decided to not speak anymore, out of fear of angering the Hokage even more.

"My lord," An ANBU spoke up, "I do not disagree that this child is a hero, but my hunch is that the village will not see it as you do."

The older man raised his brow. "Elaborate CROW."

"The village citizens just witnessed the worst attack to ever hit the village, not even Lords First and Second had to deal with such a tragedy. Many loved ones were killed by the demon that now lives inside that boy, they _will_ blame him if they find out."

Hiruzen lowered his eyes in deep thought, CROW did have a valid point. The amount of lives lost were already in the mid hundreds and increasing at a current rate. He wished he could say that most of the villagers would see that Naruto was a hero for being the Kyuubi's container, but the older man knew better. Once word would get out that Naruto was the jinchuriki of the Nine Tails, his life would be in great danger. Not to mention Minato's enemies, Sarutobi was all but certain that they would stop at nothing to take revenge on Minato by killing his infant son. Feeling the greatest amount of guilt in his life, the Third Hokage nodded sadly once more. "I wish I could disagree with you CROW but I know you have a point. Naruto will be their scapegoat for their anger."

The ANBU operative nodded. "What do you want to do with him then, my Lord?"

"We'll keep his existence out of public knowledge for the time being, at least until I figure out a plan to protect the boy. In the meantime, I'll keep him in my office, so I can watch over him personally."

A few days passed since the attack and things went from bad to worse. Not only did Naruto being the container for the Kyuubi leak out into the public but the blame for the attack itself was being placed on the prestigious Uchiha clan, which already had draining relations with Konoha higher ups. Sarutobi was aware of the fact that Danzō Shimura ordered the Uchiha clan to focus solely on defending the villagers, this was starting to cause a bigger rift between the clan and village. The Third Hokage was already dealing with the Uchiha problem and had a plan in the works to help their relationship, but the man's main concern was Naruto's safety.

Sarutobi blew smoke out of his mouth and placed his pipe on his desk, listening to the infant child softly sleep in his make shift crib next to Sarutobi's desk. He wasn't sure if his plan for Naruto was certainly the best but it was the only one that a had ghost of a chance to give the boy somewhat of a normal life growing up. Granted, the man the Hokage wanted to have watch over Naruto wasn't considered normal by most people but having the boy's godfather look after him seemed like a good idea.

There was a knock at the Hokage's door. Sarutobi briefly thought that Jiraiya had arrived but quickly dismissed that thought. He would be notified by gate patrol when the Sannin would enter the village. Also, Jiraiya would probably enter through the window and not the door.

"Enter."

Someone the Hokage should have been expecting to see but seeing Mikoto Uchiha walk in with her own infant son, Sasuke, and six-year-old, Itachi, did surprise the elder Hokage. The man didn't need to ask why the wife Fugaku, the head of, both, the Uchiha clan and Konoha's Military Police Force, was in his office, he knew that she was very close friends with Kushina.

"Lord Hokage…" Mikoto quietly gasped. The man was in worse condition than she had originally thought. His arms were completely bandaged, and he was covered in bruises and burns.

"Do not concern yourself with my injuries Mikoto, I will be alright."

The black haired Uchiha woman nodded slightly. "I'm sorry to hear about your wife."

Sarutobi did not say anything in response. He just nodded and let Mikoto do what she had come here to do. Mikoto placed Sasuke in Itachi's arms and scooped Naruto in her own. She smiled softly at the three whisker like birthmarks on the child's face. Mikoto's smile didn't last for very long. She knew what the villagers were saying about Naruto, and the Uchiha clan in extension. "What are you going to do with him?"

"I've sent word to Jiraiya to return home, I will try and convince him to take care of Naruto until this catastrophe is behind us and give the villagers a chance to calm down. A chance to see Naruto as the hero Minato wanted him to be."

Mikoto placed the infant Naruto back in his crib and looked back at the Hokage. "You're sending him away with Lord Jiraiya? Is that really the best decision? Lord Jiraiya is very well known to attract some…unwelcomed individuals.

Sarutobi chuckled dryly at that. "I'm well aware but I'm confident that Naruto's godfather will take up the responsibility."

"Godfather?"

"Yes. Jiraiya is Naruto's godfather. I'm actually surprised you didn't know that, being how close you and Kushina were."

"I didn't get to see her much in her last trimester. When I saw her last week, it was the first time in two months."

"Her pregnancy was a SS-rank secret, Mikoto. Not even the council members knew Kushina was pregnant, hell I wasn't made fully aware of it until a few months ago. I think the only people who knew what was going on from the beginning were you and Jiraiya, and that's only because of how close you two were to Minato and Kushina."

"But do you really think sending Naruto off with Lord Jiraiya is the smartest decision? He has a lot of enemies that would love to get their hands on the Nine Tailed Fox, and the Fourth Hokage's son."

"I've already come up with a plan for that."

The two were drawn to the window to see the Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya, hopping into the office through the left open window. While Sarutobi was not shocked to see his student, he was concerned by the fact he was supposed to be alerted by one of the guards that the Sannin had arrived. The elder man just figured Jiraiya used his amazing stealth skills to enter the village walls.

The white-haired man walked over to the make shift crib. He softly smiled at the sleeping infant. "You look just like your father." He whispered tenderly.

The tone in the room suddenly turned serious. "Jiraiya, I am requesting that you- "

"You don't need to ask, sensei. When I got your scroll, I knew what I had to do. I will take the boy and watch over him. Minato asked me to be Naruto's godfather because he had faith in me to help raise him, I will not bow out from this promise."

Sarutobi smiled, he knew Jiraiya would step up. If only his other student would return from her downward spiral and see that the village needs its Sannin back. The Third Hokage inwardly sighed that the thought of his female student and her current state. It seems Tsunade had cut off the rest of the world and is continually trying to drown her sorrow in sake and gambling. Sarutobi has tried to reach out to the world class medic but unfortunately, even, he could not reason with Tsunade. There was also the matter of finding the woman, Tsunade, somehow, was not the easiest person to find these days.

"Master Jiraiya," Mikoto spoke up, "if you don't mind me asking, what is your plan regarding Naruto?"

"No." The Third Hokage suddenly stated. "The less any of us know, the better for Naruto. Somehow, word has gotten out that he is the Kyuubi's jinchuriki. I'm looking into the leak but, as of right now, we cannot risk Naruto's safety if Jiraiya's plan were leak out into the public as well."

Mikoto wasn't happy to hear this, and apparently Sasuke wasn't either. He started to cry in Itachi's arms. The young boy, who was already considered a genius, did what he could to try and calm his younger brother but Mikoto knew her new born was starting to get hungry. They would need to return home soon. "Very well." She sighed, taking Sasuke into her arms. "I came here with the intentions of convincing you to let me raise Naruto, but it seems your mind set on letting Lord Jiraiya watch over him."

"Mikoto," Sarutobi started, "if the situation were different, I'd love nothing more than to let Naruto be raised by you. But the Uchiha clan is being blamed for unleashing the Kyuubi on the village. As ridiculous as that sounds, the image of your clan would be tarnished completely even more if the villagers saw him within the Uchiha compound. Then there is the issue with the investigation…"

Mikoto decided it best to keep her comments to herself, knowing they would lead to an argument that was not her place to have without her husband and her children present. Itachi was too young to know what about the Uchiha clan had been accused of doing, though Mikoto knew her older son was sharper than most adults despite his young age.

"Please, take care of him." Mikoto took hold of Itachi's hand and left the office.

Sarutobi shook his head and took another hit off his pipe. "Mikoto may not be a firecracker like Kushina but one all in the same."

Jiraiya felt no need to respond. Mikoto was the silent type that you never wanted to piss off. He could only recall ever hearing of Mikoto losing her temper once, and Fugaku, who was considered on par with Minato to be named the Fourth Hokage and gained his own nickname 'Wicked Eye' during the Third Great Shinobi War, cowered away from his wife. He thanked Kami that he never felt that woman's anger, but Tsunade's was probably just as bad and probably worse.

The legendary Sannin took his godson into his arms and held him somewhat awkwardly, admittedly this was the first time he had ever held a baby and he had no clue what to do. He remembered something that Tsunade told him once about making sure the head is held properly, he wasn't why they were talking about babies. He dismissed his confusion by thinking it probably had something to do with Dan, her former lover/fiancé.

Jiraiya was about to leave but stopped when he noticed the monotone expression on his teacher's face. It wasn't often that Sarutobi would show this expression. He knew the old man was deeply worried for Naruto and his future and leaving it up to him was probably not the easiest thing for the old man to let happen. It wasn't because Sarutobi didn't trust Jiraiya, it was just Sarutobi felt like he owed Minato for saving the village. Raising and training his son seemed like a good way to repay that debt.

"I'll send updates, sensei."

"I know Jiraiya, I know." The Third Hokage sighed. "Just don't keep him away forever, I want him to go through the Academy at some point."

Jiraiya chuckled. "This kid is going to be a powerhouse when he grows up. I just hope he got his father's brains and not just his looks."

"As do I." Sarutobi softly laughed.

Six quick years has passed since the Kyuubi attacked the village. Konoha recovered completely from the horrible attack architecturally but from the political stand point things could not be any worse. The already tense relations with the Uchiha clan fell through broken glass when the council made the rash decision to move the Uchiha compound to the far edge of the village, practically isolating them from the entire village. Somehow things were made even worse when Itachi, the young genius prodigy of the Uchiha clan, joined the ranks of the ANBU Black Ops. While that was something that entire shinobi council predicted when the boy showed the signs of being the genius he was becoming, Sarutobi felt an oddity with Itachi's sudden jump into the ANBU ranks. Itachi never expressed any want to be in ANBU, the young boy was a pacifist.

Sarutobi chose to look into the matter by calling Itachi into his office. The Third Hokage questioned the Uchiha prodigy about his reasons for his sudden interest in an ANBU life. Itachi didn't say much other than he wants to save the village and the Uchiha clan, but he knew only one could come out on top. Sarutobi had a sinking feeling that the Uchiha were planning something, and his talk with Itachi just confirmed it. When Sarutobi questioned if the Uchiha were planning, Itachi told everything about coup d'état his father and the other Uchiha higher ups were working on. And how him joining ANBU was to be a double agent to try and achieve peace between the two, and his best friend, Shisui, was doing the same but on the regular shinobi level.

And on top of it all, there hadn't been any updates on Naruto and how his is growing up from Jiraiya. The only update the perverted Sannin had sent was a few months after Jiraiya had taken him out of the village and left him with the sage toads, Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima, while he checked his spy network for anything that could be taken as a threat towards Konoha. Other than that, Jiraiya kept Naruto with him as he moved around the world. Thankfully, there was nothing from the other nations and showed no indication of even knowing about the Kyuubi's attack to begin with. There was always one silver lining in an overall bad situation. Still, Sarutobi was worried about Naruto and growing up without much interaction children his age, or even people in general.

There was a knock that tore the Third Hokage from his deep thoughts. "Enter."

The legendary Toad Sage himself walked through the door. "Long time no see sensei."

"Jiraiya…" Sarutobi looked beyond his long-time student. "Is Naruto with you?"

Jiraiya chuckled. "He is, but he saw the Ichiraku Ramen shop and couldn't help himself."

"This is the first time he's been inside the village since his birth, how does he know about Ichiraku Ramen?"

"Lady Shima decided bugs and insects weren't the best diet for a growing boy. Whenever she would come to the village for indigents, she would pick up some instant ramen for Naruto as a treat for completing his training. Or not causing me too much trouble out on the road."

"The toads have taken a liking to him I take it?"

"Of course, he is Minato's son after all."

"You mentioned training?"

Jiraiya smiled. "Naruto is a natural born ninja, everything comes to him with ease. We've only taught him what he'd learn through the Academy but it's a breeze for him." The man's smile suddenly disappeared. "Though, that's only because he found my book." He reached into his green kimono and pulled out the very book the white-haired man was talking about.

Sarutobi was glad to see that it wasn't the famous _Icha Icha Tactics_ perverted book that Jiraiya had written but the man's very first book he had ever written, _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._ Sarutobi had to think for a moment about why this book was the reason for Naruto being a natural. It clicked in the old man's brain.

"He learned about his name..."

Near the village center, down the main road that led through Konoha, the villager's lives were going on as per usual, everything was turning out to be another normal day. One of the many shops on that main drag was rather popular ramen restaurant, _Ichiraku Ramen_ read the entrance kanji signs that acted as the door that came down to that of an average heighted person's waist. Sitting at one of the many stools was a young boy, maybe five or six, with spikey blonde hair and three distinctive whisker birthmarks on each of his cheeks. He was a wearing a black short sleeved shirt with red swirl on his chest, a pair of white, almost grey, shorts and dark blue ninja sandals.

Naruto was in heaven as he drank the last of the ramen flavored water out of the bowl, finishing off his fourth bowl. He knew Ero-sennin wanted him to go see the Old man with him but he just couldn't help himself when they walked past the ramen shop. Though, Naruto was a little surprised Jiraiya didn't come after him when he ran off, or even decide to come in and join him for a bowl. The young blonde didn't have to think very hard why his master, and caretaker, didn't follow him, it was probably because of _that_.

He mentally shook his head at the memory. Why would they keep something like this from him? What was the purpose? To protect him? From what? Grandpa Sage did, accidently, tell him once that the villagers probably wouldn't very welcome towards him whenever he would 'return' to the village. When Naruto questioned what the elder toad meant by that, Jiraiya appeared suddenly and stopped Fukasaku before the toad could say anymore. Then, a month or so later, Naruto found that book when Shima tasked him to clean up around him and Jiraiya's room she kept for them whenever they returned to the toad's hidden village in the mountains.

It was completely accidental that Naruto even found the book, he was simply moving around a few objects on the perv's shelf when it suddenly fell out of it's hiding spot. Naruto was very intrigued by the books title _The Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_ and instantly rushed off to a hiding spot to read it. To say he loved the book was understatement. Everything from the plot to the character development of the minor characters was masterful in the young boy's mind. Even though Naruto loved the book, there was one glaring problem that he couldn't overlook.

The main character's name was his very own.

He wanted to go and find Jiraiya to question him about it when he first saw his name written in the book but felt he should finish the book first, maybe his questions would be answered if he did. When Naruto closed the book when finished with the masterpiece, it did not take him long to find the legendary Sannin.

"Hey kid, you full yet or you want another bowl?" Asked the owner/cook.

Naruto snapped out of his thoughts and looked up from his empty bowl. Honestly, Naruto knew he could put another three bowls away before deciding it was enough but he lost his appetite when he started thinking about everything that had happened. He reached into his pocket and pulled out as much ryo as he had, which wasn't much.

"Will this be enough?"

The man chuckled. "Sure kid." He took the small amount of money from the boy and watched him leave his restaurant. He placed the money in the tip jar he kept at the end of the counter, knowing there was no point in putting the small amount in the register.

"You do realize that kid severely underpaid, right Teuchi?" One of few customers pointed out.

"Oh, I know." Teuchi answered with a half-smile.

"Then why'd you let him leave?"

"I noticed something about him. The way he was sitting there thinking, not many kids his age looks longingly like that. I felt like he needed to catch a break for once."

Naruto looked around the large-scale village in awe as he exited the ramen shop. Jiraiya had told him stories of how great this village was and how it was the strongest in all the Five Great Shinobi Nations. But to finally see it in person was far better than hearing about it. He looked toward the large mountain with the faces of the four Hokage carved into the side of it, knowing the Old Man's office was directly below it.

The stories, not only Jiraiya had told him but, Fukasaku had told him about all the Hokage's were legendary. From Lord First's battle with the great Madara Uchiha to Lord Second's last stand against the Kumo death squad to save his team, that included the Third Hokage who was already considered a God of Shinobi at the point of his inauguration. Then there was _him_. The Fourth Hokage.

Naruto still didn't know the full story of the late, great Fourth Hokage, assuming there was one to know like the rest of the Hokage. Lord Fourth's legend was something different from the other three Hokage's, not that the other Hokage's were lacking in feats but there something different about the man known as the Yellow Flash.

Not only did the Fourth Hokage single handily turn the tide and win the Third Great Shinobi War with his improved version of the Hiraishin, a time-space ninjutsu that allows instant teleportation to a previously placed special seal formula that was created by the Second Hokage, and his own invented jutsu the Rasengan, the Fourth Hokage was the youngest kage ever to be named. He was a mere twenty-four years old when he was named Hokage. Many considered him the mythical savior that the world needed to help stop the endless war that plagued it, so said Jiraiya anyway.

But when he suddenly died fighting against the Kyuubi, something didn't sit right with Naruto. Fukasaku taught him the basics of sealing techniques and how they work, it was a dying concept among active ninja and Naruto seemed to grasp the idea well. Despite his young age. And it was almost obvious that the Kyuubi wasn't a normal being, considering the fact that it nearly leveled Konoha completely with one attack. So, it bothered Naruto when he was told that the Kyuubi was simply killed by the Fourth Hokage in his final breath. Naruto had a hunch that a being like the Kyuubi couldn't just be killed like that. It would make more sense to seal that beast away into something, or someone.

As Naruto made his way through the village, towards the Hokage Tower, he began to notice and hear murmurs and whispers of the villagers he walked past.

"Those whiskers..."

"Is he the one?"

"That's gotta be him."

Naruto turned his focus away from what was in front of him and tried to listen more on what was being said around him, until he ran into something that knocked him on his back and hitting his head on the ground. The young blonde rubbed the back of his head and opened his eyes to see what he ran into to. Naruto was shocked to see a ninja standing before him, a high ranking one at that.

"I'm sorry mister, I wasn't watching where I was goi- "Naruto stopped when he saw the man's hateful glare to him.

"It is you. _**The demon**_."

Naruto's eyes widened considerably. "D-Demon? What do you mean?" The young boy quivered.

Villagers began to surround the young boy like a large pack of wolves, harboring their own hateful glares that fell on terrified young boy. It wasn't long before a large mass of people had formed around Naruto and the ninja that he had 'bumped' into. Soon the villagers began to shout and scream like a mob, all words of hate directed towards young Naruto. Beginning to fear for his own life, Naruto ran and fought through the growing mob of people in hopes of finding safety. He was cut, kicked, punched, spit on, and screamed like a leper.

It took most of the young boy's strength to fight his way out, but he managed to do so, he didn't even bother trying to find Jiraiya he wasn't familiar with the village enough to find another route to the Hokage's office. So, Naruto picked the clearest way and ran for his young life.

Whether it be a stroke of luck or an act of god, Naruto was somehow able to lose the mob that was chasing him like hungry wolves. He sprinted through an alleyway, ran through a couple open houses, and hid under a red bridge that ran over a medium sized pond. He breathed heavily as he tried to nurse his deep cuts and already tender bruises. The salt from his tears burned his cuts.

'What did I do?' He sobbed, trying to handle the pain of his injuries. 'Why did he call me a demon?'

Naruto didn't try to hide or calm his sobs, he was in too much pain to do so. It may have been quiet enough to ignore but not quiet enough to attract someone. He sobbed into his knees, hiding his face from the world and hoping no one would find.

"Hey, are you okay?"

The young boy physically flinched someone had spoken to him, he must have been crying too hard to notice someone come near him. He removed his head from his knees and looked at the person. It was a young girl, probably his same age, with bright short pink hair and a red ribbon tied into it. Her jade green eyes weren't filled with much concern, more curiosity than anything else for someone her age.

The young girl saw the boy flinch when she spoke. "It's okay, I'm not going to hurt you." She heard the boy sobbing underneath the bridge when she was walking over it, trying to catch up to her parents because she wanted to pick a few of her favorite flowers, yellow lilies. "My name is Sakura. What's yours?"

Naruto sniffled. "Naruto Uzumaki..." He noticed the flowers in the young girl's hands. "Why do you have those flowers?"

"I was walking with my mom and dad and I saw a small patch of them, they're my favorite kind of flower." She took one of the many she had and handed it over to Naruto. "Here."

Naruto was stunned. "For me?"

Sakura smiled and nodded. "You look like you need a pick-me-up. Why are you all beat up?"

Naruto sniffled again, his tears finally starting to subside. His eyes went downcast. "The villa- "

"Sakura, where are you?!"

"I'm down here mom!"

"Sakura, what on earth are you doing under here…" The dark blonde woman's voice trailed off when she saw the boy next to her daughter. "Sakura, get over here _now_."

Sakura was confused, it was rare for her mother to use this kind of tone of voice. "M-Mom?"

"Right now, young lady!"

Not wanting to feel her mother's wrath, Sakura rushed to her mother's side without a second thought. Sakura's mother quickly grabbed ahold of Sakura's small hand and took her away from the cut and bruised blonde boy. Sakura was surprised by the sudden jerk from her mother that she dropped the flowers she had picked.

"My flowers!"

Naruto barely had any time to try and say something to ask why before he heard another yelling of the mob that he had just gotten away from. He struggled to his feet and began to run once more. He ran as fast as he could, but his injuries and straight exhaustion were too much for the young boy. He made it only so far before he collapsed in the middle of the street. The mob of enraged villagers wasn't too far behind.

Naruto could see the mob that had been chasing him then everything went black.

A giant beast stirred behind a massive red gate which was held shut by nothing more than a simple piece of tan paper with the kanji for 'seal' written in black. The large animal had been patiently waiting for the blonde-haired boy to wake from his sleep. The animal didn't understand how the young boy could sleep in a foot of water without waking up. Finally, the boy was starting to wake up because he was splashing out of shock.

Naruto coughed up a little bit of water as he abruptly sat up in the water. He, first, gathered his breathing before taking in his new surroundings. He was in a gloomily lit area that had piping trailing along the ceiling, combined with the foot of water he was sitting in, gave Naruto the impression that he was in some sort of sewer.

There wasn't much he could see in front of him, it surprised him to see that he was walking down a large, long hallway that came to a giant gate. Curiosity had Naruto as he looked over the gate, noting that the only thing that was keeping it closed was a simple piece of paper. He was moving closer to see if anything was inside the enormous cell but stopped when a booming voice echoed throughout the place.

" **Hello Kit."**

As would any normal six-year-old kid, Naruto was frightened and stumbled on shaky legs until he tripped over himself and fell back on his rear end. Using what nerve the young boy could muster up, Naruto shakily spoke up.

"W-Who's there?"

The answer was quick. **"Do not be afraid of me Kit, please. I'm not going to harm you."**

Naruto swallowed down his fear as much as he could, something that was easy to do for someone his age, as he waited for the deep voice to continue. He was young, yes, but that didn't mean he was stupid enough to trust this thing, Jiraiya had taught him better.

" **I know you have some questions and I'll cover the most obvious ones right now but if you have anymore then I'll gladly answer them for you."**

Naruto was still scared, but nothing was harming him right now. He was glad for that right now, there were no villagers or anything in sight. So, he figured he would let this 'thing' speak then he'd ask a question or two when it was done.

" **This place is, well…the easiest way I can put this is we're inside your mind. How you got here is relatively the same. You were just beaten to a pulp and, naturally, this is where you will go when you lose consciousness."**

Naruto watched the darkness that covered the inside of the cell as he waited for the deep, booming voice to speak again. "Okay, but what are you? Who are you? And how do I know you won't hurt me?" The young boy quivered.

There was a rather loud sigh before the voice responded to his question. **"Well…I know you've heard of the Kyuubi no Yoko, or better known as, The Nine Tailed Fox. So, your hunch was correct about the Fourth Hokage."**

Naruto stared blankly into the darkness, taking in the words that the Kyuubi had just told him. The fox was thoroughly surprised that the young boy didn't freak out, he seemed to be taking it well. At least, that was before the words finally set in.

"Y-You mean that the Fourth Hokage sealed the Kyuubi inside me?!"

The Kyuubi once again, inwardly, sighed as he nodded, though Naruto couldn't see it.

" **Yes…he did. But there was- "**

"Then there's no way you won't kill me!" Naruto curled up into the fetial position as he began to sob in fear.

The Nine Tailed Fox didn't answer for a short period of time as he listened to the faint crying of the six-year-old blonde boy that sat just beyond his prison cell. **"Kit…it's okay…I'm not going to hurt you. Not only do I not want to, but if I kill you then I kill myself. So** _ **please**_ **…don't be afraid of me."**

The crying slowly dwindled until there was only a few sniffles of a runny nose. The young boy was beginning to understand that the beast meant no ill intent towards him. He rubbed his face clean of any tears and snot that fell from his running nose. "So, why did Lord Fourth choose me?"

" **Well, why he chose you is a story for a different time. I'm not sure why those fucks you call 'leaders' decided to keep you hidden away with that perverted man, honestly I think they made your situation worse because they sent you away."**

"What do you mean?"

" **This village had been relatively untouched since its creation by the First Hokage and Madara Uchiha, there hasn't been a major conflict near the village walls since them. So, the current generation of villagers have never seen power like I possess. They fear it, loath it, and utterly hate me for killing their loved ones. I do not blame them for hating me, but it is wrong to take out their fear induced rage on you. I'm positive with you being gone with that pervert, the villagers had calmed but not forgotten. Seeing you for the first time in six years reignited their anger."**

"So, they chased and hurt me because they fear me?"

" **Well…you aren't completely wrong, but their fear is more placed on me than you, Kit. The basics of how sealing jutsus are no longer taught in your academy, haven't been in decades. That pervert you call a caretaker is the last known fuinjutsu master, and even he hasn't tapped into the full potential of sealing. Hell, the Fourth Hokage was considered better than the Sannin and he still had room for improvement."**

"But he sealed you away inside me, that's pretty impressive." Naruto quipped, causing the fox to groan in annoyance.

" **Be quiet Kit. Being a newborn, your chakra coils weren't fully developed which made sealing me inside of you a hundred times easier. If anyone else was in your place, then I would still be free."**

Naruto suddenly went downcast at the Kyuubi's last comment. "If anyone else was in my place…so it was pure coincidence that you were sealed in me…"

Kyuubi knew if he didn't word this right then he could really screw this kid up more than he already was. The beast still couldn't understand why that stupid Third Hokage was keeping so many secrets from the boy. He was starting to put some of the pieces together with the discovery of where his name had come from, but things could possibly turn badly if that damn kage didn't man up soon. Or that perverted Sannin. Both of them could turn this kid into their worst nightmare if they fuck it up.

" **Life isn't fair, Kit. Sometimes shit happens that is out of your control and you just must roll with the punches. But you must understand that the Fourth Hokage was trying to make you a hero. The village, however, didn't see you the way he, or the Third, wanted. Don't be angry with him, he was doing what he thought was best for the village. If it wasn't for you then the village would have been destroyed and you wouldn't even exist right now."**

Naruto nodded understandingly as he looked back through the gate. He was surprised by the Kyuubi and why he was taking the time to just talk to him. From the stories that Jiraiya had told him, the fox demon was full of hate and wouldn't hesitate to kill whoever simply annoyed him.

"Why…Why are you telling me all this?"

If Naruto could see the demon's features, he would see a soft, compassion half smirk. **"Your life as a jinchuriki will never be normal, Kit. I know you've hadn't had the 'stability' of staying in one place for long, life will not be easy for you. You know, despite your young age, that the world is not pretty. You may have had a caretaker in the Sannin but the pain of not knowing who your real parents are is something not many understand. Hell, life in this village will be difficult on its own because the people hate you for a decision that was far out of your control. I want you to be a great ninja so this ignorant village to see just how wrong they are about you."**

Naruto could only think about how much he wanted that to be the case as his vision of the gate and environment quickly started to blur, then everything went black.

" **Good luck, Kit."**


	2. Chapter 2

Jiraiya had not left Naruto's hospital room since he had brought him in the day before. There were two reasons why he had stayed and not gone out on a rage filled rampage against the villagers. The first was to watch over him and make sure his condition didn't worsen, fear had overtaken him that if he left the boy would die. The second reason was to protect Naruto from those who wished the young boy harm. The Sannin knew that Sarutobi had assigned ANBU to watch over the room and only allow a trusted doctor, himself, or Jiraiya into the room.

Currently, the Toad Sannin was starring out the lone window in the room as he dealt with the unmeasurable anger that coursed through his veins. Naruto had barely been in the village for a few hours and been somehow been recognized as the Kyuubi's jinchuriki. The poor boy didn't even do anything to anger the villagers, they simply noticed who he was and attacked him. Jiraiya knew it was too early to bring him back, the villagers still held that grudge against Kyuubi for taking their family members away from them.

Though Jiraiya's anger wasn't solely placed on the villagers, he held some anger towards his sensei as well. An ANBU, who was Minato's sole surviving student Kakashi Hatake, burst into the Hokage's Office, informing them of what was happening with Naruto, Jiraiya rushed to the blonde boy's side. He had to literally throw a villager off Naruto before he could take Naruto to the hospital. Once there, medical personal did what they could for the boy, which wasn't much by what Jiraiya saw them do. Sarutobi finally showed up a few hours later. The silence between the two was short-lived before the Third Hokage dropped the bomb on him.

"I have a mission for you Jiraiya."

Jiraiya kept his mouth shut throughout the entire briefing. A team of ANBU had gone missing after reporting a sighting of a mysterious masked man. No further reports followed. Sarutobi believed they had been killed and wanted his trusted spy master to investigate their disappearance. The Old Man said it would only take a couple of weeks, a month at most, and that Naruto could stay with him until Jiraiya returned. But the Sannin knew better. A mission like this would take, at the very least, six months. Honestly, there was no telling how long this mission would take because there hadn't been anything on a masked man coming from his contacts in his spy network. He would have to start from scratch.

Sarutobi said he had a choice to take the mission or not. What the Hokage really meant was that Jiraiya had the choice to either wait until Naruto woke up to leave or leave now and save the trouble of telling why Jiraiya had left him here up to Sarutobi and the Elders. The Sannin really couldn't see which choice was worse.

He thought about his decision thoroughly, knowing the longer he took here the more time this masked man would have to disappear into the world. This wouldn't be the first time Jiraiya would just suddenly leave without as so much as a goodbye, but Naruto was with the toads when he wasn't with him out in the world. Jiraiya didn't see this as the best choice but the quickest and easiest, not to mention cowardly.

Jiraiya took one long look at his godson, knowing this would be the last time he'd be seeing him for some time, before opening the window and jumping out, leaving the still unconscious boy.

Naruto awoke some time after his Jiraiya left. He was surprised to see that he was mostly healed from his injuries. He was a little sore, but it was nothing the young boy couldn't handle. Naruto waited patiently for his caretaker to come visit him, but the man never came. Not even the Third Hokage showed his face. Naruto waited for hours for two men that would never come.

There was a knock at the door and a man with silver hair that seemed to defy gravity with a fox mask that covered his face entered the room. Naruto instantly figured out that this guy was a member of the ANBU Black Ops.

"Naruto Uzumaki..."

Naruto did his best to keep his composure but the ANBU still could see the fear and distrust in the young boy's eyes, and the man didn't blame the child one bit. "Y-Yes?"

"Lord Hokage wants to see you. I'll take you to him."

Naruto followed the ANBU through the streets of the village to the Hokage Tower, ignoring the glares of the villagers that were stopped when the masked ANBU shot them a glare of his own. Once the two made it to the tower, the ANBU led Naruto up the stars and entered the office without even knocking. Sarutobi didn't even flinch when the two entered, just softly smiled.

"Thank you Kakashi, that'll be all for now."

The ANBU bowed before vanishing in a swirl of leaves.

Naruto stared at the elderly man with caution, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to do. This was the first time he had ever met the Third Hokage, Jiraiya had told him a lot about this man so already felt a closeness to the man but meeting for the first time felt awkward.

"There is no need to be weary of me, Naruto. I'm here to help you."

"Help me with what? Where's Ero-Sennin?"

"Naruto, please try to understand when I tell you this, Jiraiya has left the village."

"He what?" Naruto quivered.

"Something came up and it couldn't wait to be taken care of. I apologize for Jiraiya because he couldn't wait for you wake up to say goodbye, the circumstances didn't allow him to linger around and waste time."

'Waste of time? Is that all I was to Ero-Sennin?' Naruto lowered his head as the words set themselves deep inside Naruto's mind, almost as if the words themselves completely altered the boy's way of thinking the second they were said. He was now stuck in this village alone. It was a new feeling, but it felt so familiar to him.

"I see…"

"I know you aren't a fan of this, Naruto. But Jiraiya has left you in my care until he returns. Also, I will be overseeing your training that you will be receiving along with the teachings of the academy."

That sparked Naruto's interest. "Academy?"

"Of course. You want to be a great ninja, don't you?"

Naruto's mind snapped back to his conversation with the beast within him. A newfound determination surprised the Third Hokage. "Yes. I want to show this village how wrong they are about me."

Sarutobi raised his eyebrow at the young boy's choice of words. "What do you mean, Naruto?"

"I promised someone I'd be the greatest ninja in the village, I don't intend to let him down."

Sarutobi thought about the boy's words. Who was this mysterious person that challenged Naruto to become a great ninja? Was it Jiraiya? Did he leave something for Naruto before leaving on his mission? Or was it promise to himself just to prove the villagers wrong? Something must've happened after Jiraiya saved Naruto from the mob and brought him to the hospital.

"So Ojiisan," Naruto started, causing the elderly man to smirk, "you mentioned that you'd be overseeing my training that I'll be doing outside of the academy. What kind of training did you have in mind?"

"In due time Naruto, we'll get to that soon enough." Sarutobi reached into his desk and pulled out two wrist bands and unique scroll that had a padlock seal etched onto the paper, sealing the scroll shut. "But here, this will be a good start for you."

Naruto looked over the wrist bands. "What are these?"

"Chakra weights. These are special training tools that help with making you stronger and faster."

Naruto nodded as he glanced at the Third once more. "How do I use them?"

"It's quite simple. All you have to do is pump chakra into them like you would when creating a _bushin_. The more chakra you put into the weights, the heavier they will be. If you put too much into the weights and it proves to be too much, just decrease the amount of chakra in them to the weight you want. So, essentially these chakra weights will also help with your chakra control."

After Sarutobi was done explaining, the blonde looked down at the weights in his hands. He placed them around his ankles and pumped some chakra into them. He instantly felt the weight. "Thank you Ojiisan, these will help me big time."

"Naruto, you do realize those weights are made for your wrists and not your legs?"

Naruto nodded. "I know that, I figured this would be a smarter thing to do for now. I want to work on my speed first, it'll help in the long run over strength."

Sarutobi's eyes widened slightly. 'Jiraiya wasn't kidding when said Naruto is just as good as Minato when he was a child. He analyzed the pros and cons of using the weights and thought of whole new use for them. Impressive.'

"So, what's the deal with that scroll?"

"This another special tool, though it still needs perfecting, this is a chakra scroll. It was made to carry various items for traveling, battle, or simply storage. All you need do to access this scroll is learn the jutsu that was the scroll was sealed with. Once I teach it to you, you'll have access to the scrolls that I placed in there that I thought would be good baseline for you to start learning."

"What kind of scrolls are in there?"

"A jutsu from every chakra nature and a scroll for the basics of chakra control. Once you are finished with the scrolls already in there, you can come back and take from my library of scrolls as you wish. Though I recommend finishing the you take before coming back to take more."

Naruto nodded and beamed with excitement. He was ready to get started with this training.

Sarutobi loved to see the enthusiasm in such a young boy. "It's good to see so excited Naruto, but I'm afraid you can't start just yet."

"What? Why not?"

"I enrolled you into the Ninja Academy and classes start tomorrow. I don't want you to be tired for you first day, seeing how you have a little bit of work ahead of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Unfortunately, Naruto, I can't watch over you constantly like Jiraiya did. So, you will be living on you own in an apartment I've chosen for you. Here is the key and the money for the down payment and first few months of rent, plus expenses like food. Once you graduate from the academy and start taking on missions, you'll have to pay for it on your own."

Naruto nodded once more, taking the envelope and key and placed them in his pocket.

"Now for the jutsu that will unseal that scroll. I'll show you how it's done."

Naruto was pleasantly surprised when he unlocked the door to his new home. It wasn't anything special to look at, but it was plenty for a six-year-old to live in by himself. The apartment was already furnished with bed, a small couch, a coffee and dining table set, a kitchen with a fridge and sink. Down the short hall was a small but simple full-sized bathroom. By normal apartment standards, this one was considered rundown and needed repairs. But Naruto didn't mind. He was used to moving around with Jiraiya for few months before returning to Mount Myōboku. Even then his room there was small and not very spacious.

He thought about the toads that he had grown to know while in-between trips with Jiraiya. They were always nice to him, never shunning him away. But they didn't really interact with him much. Naruto was mostly left alone while he stayed with them. The only toads that spent any time with him were the two toad elders, Lord Fukasaku and Lady Shima.

'Was I just a waste of time for them too? Just like for Ero-Sennin?'

Naruto couldn't believe his caretaker, the man that had been watching over him for as long as he could remember, would just leave without so much as a explanation. Or even a goodbye. That's what really hurt Naruto. The fact that Jiraiya left while he was unconscious, and during a time when Naruto needed Jiraiya the most.

"I guess I can't depend on anyone…only myself."

Naruto didn't see the point in sitting around and sulking about what had happened, that wasn't his style. He, instead, thought better to use his time to train. Naruto took out the scroll and placed on the table. He went through a series of hand signs and released the jutsu that was placed on the scroll. The Third was impressed by how quickly Naruto took to fuinjutsu, and Naruto was proud of that.

The contents of the scroll appeared in a small cloud of smoke on the coffee table in front of his couch. Each scroll was labeled; there were _Katon_ (Fire) _, Suiton_ (Water) _, Doton_ (Earth) _, Fuuton_ (Wind) _, and Raiton_ (Lightning) scrolls, all were D-rank level jutsus and were considered basics for each element. The sixth scroll was labeled for chakra control, again just the fundamentals.

Naruto wanted to spread out the learning of these jutsus, but he was just too excited to do that. So, Naruto positioned his fingers into a cross hand sign.

" _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!" (Shadow Clone Technique) Instantly, five identical clones of the young boy popped into existence, each in their own plumes of smoke.

Already knowing what to do, the clones each grabbed a scroll and spread themselves around the apartment to study the scroll they had chosen while the original chose to study the chakra control scroll.

Naruto was so happy that Jiraiya taught him this jutsu, the pervert knew it would be perfect for Naruto because of his abnormally massive chakra reserves. He remembered the Sannin saying once that Naruto easily had, at least, four times the amount of chakra that the Third Hokage did, and he was considered to have the most in the entire village.

There was a major difference between the regular clone jutsu and the shadow clone jutsu. The regular _bushin_ jutsu was more of a mirage to be used as a distraction in battle and to gather information on the enemy during a stealth mission. While the _Kage Bushin_ was a solid copy of the creator that could actually fight in battle and gather information much easier. And when the clone would get dispelled the memories of what the clone experienced would transfer themselves to the creator. The one downside to the _Kage Bushin_ was that only memories were transferred. So, if the clones were used for training, like Naruto was intending to use them for, no physical changes would be done to Naruto once he dispelled the clone. Naruto was going to have to do all the physical training himself, he really didn't mind though. He almost preferred it like that.

For the rest of the day, Naruto and his clones studied the scrolls until they fell asleep well into the night.

 **-Next day-**

Naruto rested his head on his right arm as he quietly sighed in disinterest as his academy instructor, Iruka Umino, rambled on about a history lesson of the creation of Konoha. He already knew this tale from Jiraiya. Iruka had already been talking for a few hours now and Naruto was ready to pass out from boredom.

'This is going to be a long six years.' Naruto silently sighed to himself again.

There was a six-year minimum requirement to graduate from the academy, including passing the final graduation exam at the end of the six years. Though, Naruto didn't think it was all bad. He didn't notice when he first entered the classroom, mostly because the young spikey haired boy woke up and rushed in, but there was a certain pink haired girl that caught Naruto's attention when he quickly grew bored of Iruka's history lesson.

Naruto thought about his quick interaction with her the other day, which was quickly cut short by her mother, and it dawned on him that couldn't say thank you for the flower, or even goodbye. He hoped Sakura didn't think he was ungrateful for the flower, it was his most prized possession. It sat in a small cup water on his window ceil so that the flower could get enough sunlight. Naruto knew it wouldn't live long but he decided to enjoy it as much as he could.

Naruto was thrown from his daze when Iruka changed his tone and students began to rise from their seats. It was time for their one-hour lunch break.

"Finally!" Naruto sighed out loud as he followed his new classmates outside.

Once outside, Naruto watched his classmates be greeted by their parents and loved ones who had brought them lunch for their first day. Seeing this caused Naruto to miss that perverted Sannin but an anger rose as well. The only person to care for him simply left and there was nothing Naruto could do about it. He noticed a swing hidden by the shade of the tree it was hung on. He sat on the swing and watched the others eat their lunches, envious that he didn't have what they did.

 **(Time Skip: Six years)**

Naruto's eyes fluttered open as the morning sunlight shined through his curtain. He groaned in annoyance because the twelve-year-old did not want to wake up, but his body would not allow him the luxury of falling back asleep thus he began to move. He followed through with his morning routine that led him to the training grounds. That is where his day really began.

Naruto would train for a few hours before going to his classes at the academy, that is if the blonde went at all. Otherwise Naruto would spend his whole day training. Ever since Naruto joined the academy, he considered himself a part-time student. Either because he already knew what Iruka would be teaching for that day, thanks to what he learned from Jiraiya before the Sannin suddenly left him or because of the scrolls Naruto would take from the Third Hokage's library of scrolls, or Naruto simply did not bother to go because he felt like he could teach himself better. On average, Naruto went to class one or twice a week. And that's only because those days were set aside for sparring.

Naruto even questioned himself why he would even participate in those sparring matches, he was easily much stronger than all his 'classmates' in all forms of combat. The only one that could come close to Naruto was Sasuke Uchiha. The Uchiha was considered the front runner for the 'Rookie of the Year' award because he was at the top of every list. The blacked haired boy had the best scores for shuriken and kunai throws, near perfect ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu scores. The only category that Sasuke wasn't placed first in was I.Q. That title went to Shikamaru Nara, followed up by Sakura Haruno. Sasuke was placed fourth behind Shino Aburame. If Naruto had attended class regularly then he'd be at the top of every list, minus I.Q because Shikamaru had scored over a 200 on that test. Naruto was smarter than your average kid but no where near what Shikamaru was at.

But Naruto had to attend class today. It was graduation day.

'Today's the day…' He inwardly sighed as he went through his morning stretches. 'This is gonna be a total waste of my time, but it is required.'

Naruto thought back to the other day when the Hokage called him into his office to give him the test requirements because Sarutobi knew Naruto did not attend the class that Iruka taught. 'Can you even call this an exam? A simple shuriken and kunai throw and a genjutsu on the instructor? How does that gauge a ninja's battle readiness? Or even if they can handle a fight against an enemy shinobi?'

Naruto, though he didn't want to, took this morning's training session easy. He felt like he should just in case he accidently hurt himself before the exam. Not like it would really matter, Naruto would just suffer through whatever injury he sustained or it would be quickly healed by the Kyuubi.

Despite the village hating Naruto for being the jinchuriki of the Nine Tailed Fox, being its host did have a few perks. His chakra levels were far beyond anyone else's in the village, a healing factor that Sandaime compared to that of the Shodai Hokage, Hashirama Senju, and the ability to have heightened senses, like enhanced hearing and sense of smell. And for a being that is made up of entirely chakra and hate, the Kyuubi did have his 'soft' moments towards the young blonde. Yes, the Nine Tailed Fox could be a royal asshole, and he was most of the time, but the Kyuubi would help Naruto from time to time with his training. If Naruto would swallow his pride and ask for it.

Naruto sighed to himself again, it was time to go to the academy for the exam. He left the training grounds and headed down the main street of Konoha, keeping his gaze down so he didn't have to deal with the villager's hate ones.

'I wonder who I'll be teamed up with…I don't know anyone all that well, but it would be nice to be paired up with that Shikamaru kid. He might be unbearably lazy, but his decision making would be unparalleled in a fight. Maybe that Hyuuga girl, I think her name is Hinata. She'd be a good teammate with that Byakugan.'

When Naruto decided to pay attention to what was around him, he was standing in his classroom at the Ninja Academy. He was surprised to see that he was the first there, he even beat Iruka. He simply shrugged and took a seat in that far back corner. He took out one of kunai and began to twirl it with his fingers. His focus on his activity was broken when Iruka, the class instructor, had walked in and sat down at his desk.

"Nice for you to join us, Naruto."

Naruto didn't feel the need to respond to the chunin instructor's jab at the boy's attendance, he knew what he was capable of and it was far beyond what Iruka had taught the rest of the class. He went back to focusing on the twirling of his kunai between his fingers until his focus was broken once more when a certain pink haired girl walked into the room, following the heart throb of the class Sasuke Uchiha.

Naruto didn't understand why all the girls threw themselves at the Uchiha, it was annoying and, honestly, stalkerish. The blonde wasn't sure if he should feel bad for the Uchiha or envy him for the attention. Naruto seemed to have been focusing on Sakura longer than he thought he was because he didn't notice Sasuke was now standing in front of him.

"Can I help you, Sasuke?"

"Why are you here, Uzumaki? You haven't been to class in almost a month, not to mention the countless days you missed beforehand."

Naruto held a blank stare. "Graduating is solely based on the results of the final exam. Read the handbook. Why do you even care, miss me beating you in our sparring matches?"

Sasuke's smirk quickly disappeared and was replaced with a scowl. "You wanna go again, Uzumaki? It's been awhile since our last match and I've gotten stronger since then." All the 'Sasuke fangirl club', as Naruto called them, cheered in response to Sasuke's challenge.

Naruto rolled his eyes as he continued to focus on his kunai. "Don't flatter yourself Sasuke. Awaken your Sharingan and we'll see how you stand against me."

The spikey haired blonde expected Sasuke to lash out against him for even mentioning the Sharingan like that. He knew it was probably a testy subject because of what his older brother, Itachi, did. Sasuke and Itachi were the sole surviving members of the Uchiha clan because Itachi had gone insane and killed them all, living only Sasuke alive on a whim. Naruto had his own thoughts about the Uchiha Massacre but thought best to not dwell on those later.

Sasuke huffed and held a cocky smirk. "You are absolutely right, Naruto. When I do awaken my Sharingan, I'll be more than strong enough to take you on."

Naruto caught his own kunai and finally looked at Sasuke, he could see the confidence behind them. It made the blonde smirk himself. He had always wanted to see how well he'd fair against the Sharingan.

"Sasuke sit down." Iruka called out. The rest of class had been waiting for the two to finish before they could start, and it seemed Iruka was tired of waiting. "We're about to begin the final exam for graduation. As some of you may have noticed our 'part-time' student, Naruto Uzumaki, will be joining us- "

"How is that fair?! He never comes to class!"

Naruto glanced over and noticed a bright blonde-haired girl. He had trouble placing the name for a moment before it clicked. Ino Yamanaka. He had no special feelings for this girl and only remembered her name because she was close to Sakura, even though they seemed to utterly hate each other, and was part of that 'Sasuke fangirl club'. Naruto thought best to not say anything and let Iruka respond for him.

"Well Ino, when Naruto isn't in class he trains by himself with Lord Hokage's supervision. So, it would be unfair to not allow him to take the exam."

Another student decided to make his grievances known. "What do you mean 'with Lord Hokage's supervision'? You're saying Naruto's been trained by the Sandaime?!"

Naruto decided to answer this one before Iruka could divulge his training secrets. "What I do outside of class is none of your concern. Now, if you'll all shut up I'd like to get this pointless exam over with."

"Then why don't you go first, Naruto?" Iruka questioned. "Since you seem to think this exam will be easy."

Naruto had no problem with that, the quicker he passed this exam the better. He simply stood from his spot and followed the chunin instructor into the back room.

 **-Next day-**

Naruto was back in the same spot he was in the day prior; the only difference was that Naruto had a Konoha headband tied around his head. As the blonde expected, the graduation exam was beyond easy. A kunai throw that only needed two out of three in the bullseye to pass, a D-rank genjutsu that had to be placed over the other instructor, and to create a simple _bushin_. Not even a _kage bushin_ for that matter. How that proved that someone was capable of being a ninja was beyond Naruto's understanding.

Naruto seemed to be too lost in thought to notice that the class had been filled. Maybe he needed to stop zoning out so much.

"Team 7 will consist of Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki."

There was a quick lash out of anger.

"How am I stuck on a team with that loser?!" Sasuke yelled out. "We're freaking super team!"

"That's not fair to everyone else!" Ino yelled out in like fashion.

Iruka was surprised, he was expecting Naruto to be the one to express his anger and disinterest for his team selection, but he stayed quiet. It seemed Naruto was content with the team he was placed with, or simply didn't care.

"Ino, Sasuke, take your seats please. Thank you. To answer your questions, the teams had to be balanced and the only fair way to do that is by test scores. Sasuke, you are at the top of the class. Sakura is around the middle. And Naruto is considered the dead last, despite having the only perfect on the graduation exam."

Sakura raised her hand before speaking. "If Naruto had the only perfect on the exam, how is he considered last in the class?"

"All of you have your homework and test scores from your time in the academy. Since Naruto never came to class, he doesn't have the scores like the rest of you do to support him."

Both seemed satisfied with that answer but that didn't mean they liked it.

Sasuke was still very mixed on how he felt about being paired up with Naruto.

'I hate this. How could I be put the same team as that loser? But, then again, I could use him to train. I wish I were lying but he is leagues ahead of me. Since he's on my team I'll be able to surpass him and kick his ass in spars all damn day.' A small smirk spread across Sasuke's face as he thought about this.

Sakura had no idea what to make of her team. She was absolutely thrilled about having her heart throb Sasuke on the same team as her, it was the other new teammate that puzzled her. She had seen him around the village by himself and every time she would always hear the same word being murmured.

Demon.

Sakura was never sure why but her parents would always tell her to stay away from that boy every time they would come across him. She never understood why, he didn't bother anyone or cause any trouble. But she didn't want to upset her parents, so Sakura never questioned what her parents told her what to do.

Naruto really didn't care one way or another about who his team members were. Sure, he wasn't completely thrilled about being put on the same team as Sasuke. He, honestly, should have expected it because he already knew he was at the bottom of the class, test wise that is, and the teams needed to be evened out so that everyone has a fair chance. But Sakura was placed on the same team, so Naruto thought it wasn't the worst team choice for him. It would be easier that way.

"We need to watch out for that team. We can't get on their bad side."

"Yeah I know. That blonde kid is nothing to mess with, and neither is Sasuke."

Naruto couldn't help but smirk when he overheard the private conversation between the two students in front of him. It was nice to hear _praise_ for once.

Each of the members of Team 7 were so caught up in their own thoughts about their team selection for such a long time that by the time they came out of their own thoughts everyone else had left with their jōnin sensei. Sakura was the first to notice they were the only team left to be picked up by their sensei.

"Where is our sensei? Shouldn't he be here by now?" She questioned out loud.

Neither of her teammates showed no indication of responding.

Sakura sighed. "I hope Kakashi sensei isn't always this late."

Naruto's attention snapped to full when the pinkette spoke. That name sparked the memory of the day that Jiraiya had left him. The day that everything changed. This Kakashi was the ANBU that escorted him from the hospital to the Hokage's office. While he didn't pay any mind to it at the time, the man had a sense of familiarity to Naruto. Why, or even how, the blonde hadn't the slightest clue.

Suddenly the sliding door opened and stepped in as a bored looking man wearing the typical shinobi pants, with the blue long sleeve shinobi shirt and green vest. The man had his headband placed over his left eye and his spikey grey hair seemed to defy gravity. The most interesting part about the man was that a mask covered half his face. The man didn't look at his students because he was too involved with the book he was reading. _Icha Icha Paradise_.

Naruto groaned when he saw that book.

"You must Team Seven? Be on the roof in five minutes." With that, the man left.


	3. Chapter 3

Kakashi glanced up from his book and was pleased to see that his new students were standing around him.

"Take a seat and we will begin."

Sakura and Sasuke did just that and sat on the small set of stairs, across from their sensei who was leaning against a railing, while Naruto decided to remain standing just off to the right of Sakura's right shoulder. Kakashi took note of this, realizing that Naruto was standing there for protection and not luxury. Sakura didn't seem to notice, or it simply didn't bother her.

The silver-haired jōnin took in what his students were wearing, seeing if they would be easily noticed in concealment.

The girl was wearing a red qipao dress, with dark green bike shorts underneath, blue shinobi sandals. Practical for movement and decent in cover, her hair was more of a problem. The Uchiha wore a navy blue short sleeved high collared shirt with white shorts and white arm warmers and blue shinobi sandals. A better choice, blends in easy. The only one standing, the blonde, was wearing an unzipped orange and blue jacket, with a white collar, with a mesh under shirt armor, a pair of black pants and sandals. All three had kunai holsters on their preferred side with white bandages wrapped as well. The black was a perfect choice but the orange jacket stuck out as much as the blonde hair.

"Okay, we are going to start off by introducing ourselves."

Sakura raised her hand. Kakashi motioned his head to let the girl know to ask her question. "What kind of stuff do you want to know, sensei?"

"Just your likes, dislikes, hobbies, your dreams, stuff of that nature. And you don't have to raise your hand to talk, this isn't the classroom anymore. Why don't you start?"

Sakura nodded and thought for a moment before speaking. "My name is Sakura Haruno, I like…well I have someone I like…" She continuously glanced over to Sasuke as her cheeks flushed the same color as her red qipao dress. "My dream is to…" She glanced at Sasuke once more before she squealed in delight at her own thoughts.

Kakashi inwardly groaned as he rubbed the back of his neck. 'Girls these days are more interested in love than anything else.' "What do you hate?"

Sakura hummed for a second before she answered. "I don't hate anything, to be honest."

Kakashi nodded and looked to the black haired Uchiha next to her. "You go."

Sasuke didn't hesitate as interlocked his fingers in front of his face and rested his elbows on his knees. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. There are a lot of things I hate, and not too many things I like or enjoy. The word 'dream' means nothing to me, I have but two ambitions. The revival of my clan and to kill a certain man."

Kakashi was not shocked by this response, he fully expected this type of answer from someone who witnessed the murder of his entire clan by his older brother. His one visible eye finally fell onto Naruto. "You're last, blondie."

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki. I guess you could say the one thing I like is ramen. My 'hobby' is training every day. My dislikes…" His mind flashed a memory of Jiraiya. "…betrayal. My goal is to be the strongest and prove this village they were wrong."

Kakashi was not surprised by this response either, he knew of the problems that Naruto had faced when Lord Jiraiya decided to leave Naruto in the village unexpectedly. It may have been for a mission but that didn't mean Kakashi agreed with the Sannin's decision to leave without an explanation. There was a lot of work to be done before this team would be able to function properly.

"Okay, if that's everything, then- "

"Hold on," Naruto suddenly spoke up, "we don't know anything about you."

"Ah. Well…my name is Kakashi Hatake, I have no intention of telling you my likes or dislikes. As for my dream…I have a few hobbies." His voice trailed off as he began to read his book once more.

While the two seated genin held deadpanned expressions, Naruto wasn't willing to let the man off that easy. "Well, we know you like to read porn in public."

Kakashi stopped reading and glanced up at the boy, ignoring Sakura's eye twitching and Sasuke's raised eyebrow. "You know, Naruto, I'm not the only one here that's being a little misleading."

Naruto arched his brow. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, just a tale I heard from a perverted old man whose favorite number was nine."

Naruto's shock was visible while both Sakura and Sasuke stayed confused at their sensei's statement. Kakashi worried that he may have hit a nerve by hinting at the Kyuubi, but he also wanted to confirm if Naruto knew about the beast within him or not. He worries were relived when he heard a small scoff from Naruto, who held a small smirk.

"Fair play, Kakashi sensei. You; 1. Me; 0."

Naruto's response only raised further questions about him. Kakashi wished he could ask them but knew this was not the time, nor in the right company, to do so. The boy would have to come to him on his own about his own concerns about the best before Kakashi could ask his.

"To continue what I was saying earlier, if that's everything then we'll head over to the training grounds."

Sasuke stared at the jōnin confusingly as he stood up. "Training grounds? We're starting training already?"

Kakashi shook his head. "No, not really, this is a survival test. If you pass then you become my students, therefore genin. But if you fail then it's back to the academy for another year."

All three were shocked, but Sakura was the loudest about it. "We go back if we fail?! We passed the graduation exam!"

Kakashi simply chuckled as he placed his book away in his back pouch. "That was the knowledge portion of the exam. It's important but not the most vital."

"What do you mean?" Sasuke questioned.

"Think about it like this. If you've only read a book on how to disarm a timed explosive tag, would it be smart to throw yourself into a life or death situation where time is your greatest enemy and a single mistake will cost your life? No. It's better to practice the techniques and go through scenarios so that you have some type of experience when you must deal with the situation. Knowing how to do something then actually having to do it are completely different. I, as your sensei, have to make sure you can handle yourselves in dangerous situations."

The three students nodded at Kakashi's explanation for behind the test as they entered the training grounds. Kakashi stood in front of his possible students and pulled out two small bells from his pocket.

"The goal of this test is quite simple. All you have to do is take these bells from me before sundown. If you don't then you fail. Simple, right?"

Naruto slammed fist as he let his excitement show. "Finally! I was starting to wonder if that boring exam was it."

Sakura stepped forward. "Why are there two bells if there's three of us?"

Kakashi smiled innocently. "That's because one of you will fail, only two of you can pass."

Naruto's excitement was replaced with confusion as he stared at the grey-haired man.

'Well that doesn't make any sense. How can only two of us pass when a standard team consists of one sensei and three genin? There has to be a point to this then, it can't be as simple as he says. We'd just turn on each other and fight him by yourselves to get the bells. It would be easier to work toget- '

Naruto's eyes shot wide open as the realization hit him. 'That's it! He wants us to turn against each other! The actual point to this test is teamwork and come together as a unit. We might actually pull off a victory if we do this right.'

Kakashi saw the change in expression on Naruto. "What's that smirk for?"

Sasuke and Sakura snapped out of their own thoughts and both glanced at Naruto.

"Nothing really, just figuring out the secret to your test and how all three of us are going to pass."

The blonde's teammates' eyes went wide as they stared at him in shock.

Kakashi chuckled in slight amusement. "Is that so? Then what is the 'secret' to my test?"

Naruto's smirk never left his features as he crossed his arms. "You'll see."

Kakashi tied the two bells to one of his belt loops as he jumped back, towards the middle of the training grounds. He took out his perverted orange book and began to read it.

"Begin!"

The young blonde stayed put in the clearing while his two teammates jumped away into the trees that surrounded the training grounds. He knew that if he wanted to pass this test then he'd have to team up with Sakura and Sasuke, he didn't a major issue with teaming up with them, but he felt like he needed to try and fight his sensei one on one. He thought it would be fair since he was missing out on training for the day.

Despite Sasuke's protest, Sakura followed him into his hiding spot. Why she couldn't just leave him allow and try to think for herself was beyond him. But now was not the time to think about that, Sasuke was more interested on thinking how he was going to use this test to show up Naruto. He would get those bells without Naruto and Sakura's help and prove that he IS the strongest in the team.

Sakura's mind was working on overdrive as she tried to figure out a way to have her and Sasuke pass the test. She knew she had no chance of getting the bells by herself, that's why she decided to follow Sasuke and help him come up with a plan. It's not that she didn't want Naruto to pass, she just preferred it be her and Sasuke who pass. But Naruto did say he knew how all three of them could pass.

"Sasuke, let's go find Naruto. He said he had a plan for all of us to pass."

Sasuke's eye twitched. "We don't need that dobe. If he can think of a plan, then there's no way I can't."

Sakura nodded in agreement with her crush, small smile adoring her features. "I know you think of something, Sasuke."

Their attention was suddenly drawn back to the clearing where they saw Naruto still standing where they had left him. Kakashi seemed to have noticed but showed no indication that he has. Both Sakura and Sasuke were shocked to see him still there.

"What in the world is he doing?" The girl asked.

"No idea…"

Kakashi knew that Naruto hadn't left the area and was watching him intently. There was no sign in Naruto's body language that he was about to attack or even move towards him. Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow what the boy's intentions could be because Naruto was by far the strongest member of the team and could take the bells by himself, if Kakashi made the mistake of underestimating the boy.

Naruto was disturbingly strong for his age. From the personal files that the Sandaime gave Kakashi to study from to watching the blonde train, Kakashi was very impressed by the boy's resume. The file from the Third stated that Naruto knew basic jutsu for every chakra nature, was proficient in using the _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_ , and, apparently, had an uncommon ability to use fuinjutsu quite easily.

And Kakashi was confident in the fact that _wasn't_ all Naruto knew. He did spend the first six years of his life traveling with Jiraiya, whether he liked to admit it or not.

"So, Naruto, care to explain how being here and not with your teammates will pass you all?"

Naruto's smirk never faded. "This has nothing to do with passing. It's just I normally train for most of the day and this little test is cutting into that. I thought seeing how I do against a jōnin would be a good trade off. Especially since it'll be against the Copy Cat Ninja."

"So, you've heard of my nickname. You're full of surprises, Naruto." Kakashi let a small chuckle escape as he placed his book back in his pouch. "I don't mind a quick sparring match."

"You must be serious about this since your putting that smut away."

Kakashi sighed. "I wouldn't be where I am because I underestimated my opponents, I'm not going to make that mistake with you. And I figured you'd have more appreciation for masterpieces."

Naruto groaned and rolled his eyes. "They are just his late-night fantasies, nothing masterful about it."

Kakashi shook his head. "The younger generation will never appreciate a good book."

Naruto was done talking and charged at Kakashi, vanishing from man's sight. The jōnin blocked the kick from his right as he already prepared to block the punch to his stomach.

'He's faster than I expected. Those must be chakra weights on his ankles. But to move at this speed with them on, how fast can he be without them?'

Kakashi watched intently as he continued to block repeated kicks and punches from the blonde jinchuriki. Naruto's taijutsu was better than what Kakashi thought as well. What else was this young boy capable of?

Kakashi wasn't the only one impressed with Naruto, both Sakura and Sasuke were as well. Sasuke knew first hand how good Naruto was in battle, he was his main sparring opponent in the academy after all, but to watch him fight was something else entirely. Naruto's movements were swift and precise, there was no wasted energy. It was painfully obvious that Naruto was very disciplined in his training.

Sakura was in the same boat as Sasuke. She had watched Naruto go up against Sasuke time after time, but never really paid much attention to Naruto's movements in battle. His 'brawler' type style was uncommon but seemed to be highly effective. His strong kicks and punches would leave bruises easily and his quick reaction time was, by far, ahead of anyone in their age group. Sakura hoped that Naruto's strength would rub off on her so she could impress the likes of Sasuke.

Naruto flipped into the air, using Kakashi's latest block as his springboard, and went through a series of hand signs.

" _Futon: Sunabokori_!" (Wind Style: Dust Storm)

Naruto exhaled a massive dust cloud from his mouth and it covered the entire field, including the surrounding trees. Kakashi's vision was completely blocked by the thick dust, he couldn't see a mere two inches in front of him. He resorted to using his sense of smell and hearing to protect his bells.

Both Sakura and Sasuke covered their eyes so the dust wouldn't get in them and cause future problems. Suddenly, they were grabbed from behind and pulled out from their hiding spots and brought out of the cloud of dust. Once their eyes readjusted, they were surprised to see two Naruto's.

"What the hell, Naruto?!" Sakura immediately shouted. "You could've just told us to follow you and not grab us like that!"

"You wouldn't have been able to follow me in that thick of dust. Even Kakashi sensei is having a hard time with it." One of the Naruto's said.

Sasuke stood up and dusted himself off, raising an eyebrow at the blonde's actions. Sakura did the same and voiced her questions. "What are we doing out here, Naruto? And what's your plan?"

The other Naruto moved his neck and a loud pop followed. "Sasuke, I need to head back and help the real me fight off Kakashi sensei. Once that dust cloud disappears, I don't think he'll very happy."

"And why is that? You seem doing just fine against him." Sasuke questioned.

The clone reached into his pocket and pulled out the orange book that the jōnin was reading from earlier. "He probably won't like me having his favorite book. Besides, the whole point to this test to work as a team."

At this, both Sasuke and Sakura eyes shot open as everything made sense.

"While you and boss are dealing with sensei, Sakura will be the one to take the bells."

"How am I going to do that?" The pinkette questioned.

The clone held up the book. "With this." He handed it to Sakura. "You are going to threaten to destroy the book and demand he handover the bells to save it."

"That seems a bit harsh." Sakura responded.

The clone shrugged. "It's what he gets for reading that smut in the first place."

Sasuke caught something in the clone's tone. "You seem a bit hostile towards a book. What, don't like to read?"

The clone ignored the insult as he looked towards the clearing, he could see the cloud of dust starting to disappear. "It's not the book. Go, the dust is being carried away by the wind." The two clones burst into clouds of white smoke while the two rushed to the clearing.

The real Naruto, who was hiding in the dissipating cloud of dust, felt a small headache suddenly wash over him. The memories of what the clones did with Sakura and Sasuke filled his brain and Naruto smirked once more.

Kakashi was finally starting to see and, soon enough, all the dust in the air had completely been blown away by the wind. He was surprised to see that Naruto was no longer alone, standing next to him was Sasuke. They were both in a battle stance.

Kakashi had little time to react to Naruto and Sasuke's joint attack. They both went at him with opposing attacks, Sasuke would send a kick and Naruto would send a punch. And vise versa. Kakashi was impressed once more, he was pleased to see that they could put aside their differences for a common goal. Now if they could incorporate the female member of their team then-

'Sakura! Where is she?!'

A sudden wave of worry came over the famed 'Copy Cat' shinobi as he tried to sense the young girl's chakra, but he couldn't find her. He noted that Sakura would be a natural at chakra control because she was hiding her chakra signature very well.

Naruto and Sasuke's dual attack was quickly countered when Kakashi used Sasuke's momentum to throw him into Naruto, giving Kakashi the breather he needed to search for Sakura. He didn't have to look very far because she was standing out in the open. She seemed to be hiding something behind her back.

"Say Kakashi sensei, how about a trade?"

Kakashi raised his eyebrow. "A trade?"

Sakura removed her hands from behind her back and held Kakashi's book with both hands, near her chest. "You hand over the bells and I won't destroy your book." The innocence in Sakura's voice told Kakashi that the pinkette wasn't kidding.

True panic and fear fell upon the jōnin. "Okay! Okay!" He took the bells off his belt loop and held them out. "Deal! Deal!"

Sakura smiled triumphantly as she skipped over to her sensei and took the bells in her hands and handed over the orange book. All three students noticed that their teacher breathed a heavy sigh of relief when that book was in his hands, like some type of security blanket.

"I must say, I'm impressed you three." Kakashi said when he made his way over to his students. "Who's plan was it to use my precious book against me?"

"Naruto's." Sakura couldn't stop smiling as she answered.

Kakashi should've figured that one. His gaze moved to the blonde as he held on of the two bells in his hand. "Dislike my taste in literature that much you'd threaten it just to pass the test?"

Naruto shrugged, placing the bell in his pocket. "Kakashi: 1. Me: 1."

Kakashi chuckled slightly. "Well played, Naruto. You three did very well. Not only did you figure out the true purpose for this test by yourselves, you figured out a weakness of mine and exploited it. You three did well. Congratulations, you pass!"

Sakura's wide grin somehow became even wider as both Naruto and Sasuke smirked in triumph. They were now official shinobi of Konohagakure no Sato. And unknown to them, the first to pass the bell test.

"Good job you guys, we are now officially Team 7. Our first mission is tomorrow. Meet here at seven tomorrow morning."

 **-Two months later-**

Naruto and the rest of Team 7 couldn't believe this was the third time this week that the same damn cat had run away from its owner, it was also the eighth time this month as well. Naruto knew he wasn't the only one considered skinning the cat alive as a way of showing Madame Shijimi, the Fire Daimayo's wife, that you can't bear hug an animal into loving you.

Team 7 watched the Fire Daimayo's wife pay for her third mission this week then leave the room behind them. Leaving only the team and the Hokage in the room.

"Good work Team 7." The Hokage said. "Your seventh D-rank mission this week and twentieth one this month. Your team is quite impressive Kakashi."

Kakashi bowed slightly. "Thank you, Lord Hokage."

Sarutobi was going through some papers on his desk, seemingly searching for something. Kakashi knew that the Hokage was looking for another D-rank mission to give his team. He didn't mind that but the grey haired jōnin felt that his team was ready to take the next step.

"Lord Third, I believe my team is ready for the next level."

Sarutobi stopped rummaging through his papers and smiled at one of most trusted shinobi. He picked up another piece of paper he had set aside earlier. "You think they're ready?"

Kakashi didn't say anything but nodded that carried all the words he wanted to say.

"At your request, I do have C-rank escort mission to the Land of Waves."

Kakashi looked over his shoulder to his team. "Any objections?"

Sakura was nodding excitingly, Sasuke was smirking, and Naruto slammed his fist into his hand and held a toothy grin. Sarutobi liked to see Naruto expressing himself like he was. It was a nice change of pace for the elderly man.

"We'll take it, Lord Hokage."

Sarutobi nodded in recognition for the up and coming team of genin and looked towards the door of his office. "Hey, you can come in now." He called out.

The team's attention was shifted to the door as it was opened by an elderly man, holding a nearly empty bottle of sake, who stumbled into the room. The man glanced over the young teens and their teacher before looking at the Hokage in mild disinterest.

"What the hell, Mr. Hokage? These are kids, not ninja. How am I supposed to be safe with damn kids protecting me? The short one with the angry looking face looks too stupid to be a ninja."

Naruto glared daggers at the older man, it was no secret that he was talking about him. Sasuke was smirking and Sakura couldn't help but giggle at the insult. Sarutobi, however, wasn't going to let this client insult his shinobi.

"If you don't like the team selection I have for you, you can take your business elsewhere Tazuna. I wouldn't have given them this mission if my confidence was lacking in them. It is my firm belief that you will be safe in their hands."

Tazuna stopped his stumbling around and thought about the Hokage's words. If the man that ran the village had such confidence in a bunch of kids, what did he have to say against that? The man let out a laugh. "Okay, I was too quick to judge you all. I'm sorry for that. I'm the super bridge builder expert, Tazuna. I would be honored if you'd take on my request."

After receiving the actual briefing for the mission, Team 7 and Tazuna decided to head out of the village the following morning to give them some rest before the mission. And to pack and spend time with family. Well, that was mostly for Sakura because her two male teammates didn't have any family to go home too.

 **-With Naruto-**

Naruto had been lacking on his training as of late because multiple D-rank missions could be done in a single day. Most days, Team 7 would complete three to four missions a day. That really had been cutting into Naruto's training time, he needed to let loose some pent-up frustrations of the past few months.

The young blonde dispatched a squad of ten clones to attack him, working on his taijutsu and physical prowess, while another set of clones studied scrolls and practiced the jutsus he already knew. This was the blonde's release for anger, frustration, or anything else really. Training was the boy knew. His daily routine revolved around it.

Naruto dispelled the final clone with a hard kick to it's head. He breathed in and out heavily. He ran his hand through his sweaty hair to move it out of his vision. Blood was mixed in with his sally sweat.

'I told those clones to come at me with the intent to kill, I didn't even notice this.' It wasn't a large amount of blood but a decent amount to cause some mild concern. 'I can't let something like this happen again. I have to get stronger!'

The image of his long-gone caretaker suddenly came into his mind and a surge of energy surged through his body.

" _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_!"

Instantly, thirty more clones came into existence in plumes of smoke. Naruto eyed them all as he cracked his knuckles by simply making a pair of fists.

"Again!" He cried out as he charged head on into the crowd.

 **-With Sasuke-**

The black haired Uchiha boy was deep in the woods that laid inside village walls. There was battle worn target with seven kunai and thirteen shuriken sticking out of it, all thrown with deadly precision. Sasuke had taken a break from his physical training, which consisted of hitting a tree until he went numb from the pain.

Looking at the target always brought up memories of the days where he trained with his older brother, Itachi. Back then, his only concern was making sure he actually hit the target instead of trying to aim for the bullseye.

Then, Sasuke just wanted Itachi to be proud of his skills so that their father would be impressed too. Now, Itachi was the sole reason for Sasuke to keep going. The young avenger would not stop or rest until Itachi Uchiha laid dead at his feet.

 **-With Sakura-**

Sakura had been growing more nervous throughout the rest of the day and into the night. After she was finally able to stop and think about the possible outcomes of leaving the safety of the village for the first time both excited and terrified the young kunoichi.

She was excited to what the world was like outside Konoha, but Sakura was not stupid nor naïve. She knew there were bandits that preyed on the weak and missing shinobi that hated the Great Nations and were far stronger than her. Some of those worries were laid to rest because of her teammates and jōnin sensei.

Sakura knew Kakashi would be there and would protect them if things became out of hand and the genin couldn't handle them. She even believed Sasuke could do the same if Kakashi was readily available to help. But then there was her other male teammate, Naruto.

She hadn't really given it much thought since becoming a team but there were some things about him that made the pinkette question. One thing about Naruto that Sakura was confused about was that there was a sense of familiarity, like she had met him before. When she actually thought about it, Sakura had never seen Naruto before the academy. It was like he just popped into existence out of thin air.

Another thing Sakura noticed about her blonde teammate was that whenever she'd see him around the village, during their academy days and even today, there was a distinct feeling in the air that emitted from the villagers. She wasn't sure what that feeling was, the best word she could think of to describe it was fear.

But she never dwelled on this for a long period of time, her mom and dad would always tell her to leave 'that boy' alone. Sakura shrugged to herself and covered herself with her sheets as she shifted to get comfortable. A few minutes passed before the young girl was asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto was the first to arrive to the main gate of village, he found a spot just outside the large green doors under a tree to wait for his team. His body was still uncomfortably sore from yesterday's training, but his usual fast healing had finally kicked in and most of his cuts and bruises were gone. After going around few rounds against his clones that were trying to kill him, Naruto collapsed and didn't wake back up until this morning.

Next to arrive was Sasuke, the two shared a nod to show they were both ready for this mission. The young blonde noted that Sasuke seemed to be just as sore as he was, maybe if not more.

"You trained yesterday too, huh?"

Sasuke nodded. "I pushed myself to my limit. I needed to see I was ready for this."

Naruto nodded as well. That calmed a few worries that he was having about this mission. He wasn't worried for the mission itself but how his teammates would fair out in the real world. He knew all too well that the world they knew inside Konoha was vastly different from the one outside these walls.

Not surprising, Sakura wasn't too far behind Sasuke. She didn't seem sore in the slightest and both of Naruto and Sasuke noticed. This was something Naruto would have to speak to her about at some point soon. The blonde did notice that Sakura seemed to be looking at him a bit more, like she was trying to remember something. He didn't pay much attention to it after noticing.

After about an hour of waiting, Kakashi finally arrived with Tazuna in toe.

"Alright, let's head out."

 **-A few hours later-**

Kakashi had been watching his team intently since leaving Konoha, everything was going as the jōnin thought it would. This was going to be a simple C-rank escort mission, there shouldn't be too much trouble that his genin team would get overwhelmed.

Sakura was instantly amazed by nearly everything she saw. The grey-haired sensei was aware that this was the first time the girl had left the village and expected this type of reaction. Sasuke appeared he didn't care about the surrounds and more focused on staying alert but Kakashi would catch Sasuke sight seeing very now and again. Naruto's reaction to being outside the village both confused and pleased Kakashi. Naruto had spent the first six years of his life mostly on the move with Jiraiya before he was suddenly left in Konoha, so Naruto seemed more relaxed then Kakashi had ever seen him. But Kakashi knew Naruto was completely aware of his surroundings and would react accordingly, despite not ever seeing the blonde's head turn to look at something.

Kakashi's battle tested eyes saw a small puddle in the middle of the road. The jōnin glanced at the sky and didn't see a single cloud, and he knew that there hasn't been any rain in the past few days.

'A water transformation. Not very clever for this time of year.'

Naruto noticed the puddle as well and signaled Kakashi with a slight whistle. His sensei glanced back, and the blonde softly shook his head. Kakashi understood the gesture and kept walking past the puddle, the three others seemed to be none the wiser.

Two men slowly rose from the puddle a few feet behind them. Both looked similar with the only real difference being that one had two fake horns while the other had only one on the center of his headband. They took off in a dead sprint and shot spiked chains out of their large metal gauntlets and ensnared Kakashi, seemingly tearing him to pieces.

"One down!" One of them called out.

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura screamed as she stumbled back in fear, watching the two men shift their attention to Tazuna, who she happened to be next to.

Before the two men could make a move towards the client and pinkette, Naruto came down from above and landed a kick onto each of their heads. Sasuke reacted perfectly and hit a well-placed kick to the two horned man. Naruto went through a flurry of hand signs and slammed his hands on the ground.

" _Doton: Ganch_ _ū_ _r_ _ō_ _no Jutsu_!"

Large rock pillars shot up from the ground and trapped the two men. Naruto sighed as he stood from his kneeling position. He looked beyond the pillars and saw Sakura still shaking with fear.

"You okay, Sakura?"

Sakura took a moment to snap out of her trance before giving a nod towards her blonde teammate. The pinkette quickly turned to their black-haired teammate and ran to his side. "Are you okay, Sasuke? You did awesome!"

Naruto ignored Sakura's fangirling and proceeded to move closer to his prisoners. The two-rouge ninja continuously tried to escape but to no avail, they were trapped until Naruto would undo the jutsu. Naruto felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Kakashi.

"Not bad, Naruto. Smart move in capturing them."

"I was wondering when you'd come out of your hiding spot." Naruto quipped.

Kakashi gave an eye smile. "I'm glad to see you can handle yourself, Naruto. You as well Sasuke." Kakashi expected Sakura to not do as well as her male counterparts, something he'd have to work on with her. He turned his attention to the trapped rouge shinobi. "The Demon Brothers, Gōzu and Meizu."

The two brothers, despite being trapped and mostly immobile, flinched then jōnin spoke their names.

"Do you know these guys, Kakashi sensei?" Sakura questioned.

The jōnin shook his head. "Not personally no, they are listed in the Bingo Book as mid C-rank missing ninja. Their file description states that if you ever run into them that they were most likely hired to kill you." Kakashi's one visible eye glared at Tazuna. "Or someone you happen to be protecting."

Tazuna didn't hold out for long before letting out a sigh. "It seems I've found out."

Sakura looked at the elderly man then at her sensei. "What is Tazuna talking about, Kakashi sensei?"

"Think it through Sakura. After dealing with me, who did the ninja target next?"

Sakura thought about it for moment before responding. "They went after Tazuna before Naruto intervened."

Kakashi responded with a simple nod. He turned his attention back the trapped missing nin. "Who hired you to take out Tazuna and why?"

There was no response.

Kakashi sighed and turned to Naruto. The blonde needed no further instruction. He held the _Doton_ hand sign and the large pillars began to move closer to each other, slowly crushing the rouge shinobi.

"Damn it! Stop already! We'll talk!" Meizu cried out.

 **-Unknown Location-**

A short, fat man with brown spikey hair continuously readjusted his suit as he paced nervously. "I thought you said those two would be enough for the mission?! Where the hell are they? I hired you to kill the bridge builder, not send someone else to earn your pay!"

"Shut up before I kill you." A voice annoyingly retorted. A tall and noticeably muscularly man wearing blue pinstriped pants, black and white camouflage arm and shin guards, and skin tight black shirt. His greyish skin was followed by short black spikey hair. The man's face was completely covered by bandages from the arch of his nose down. His headband, from Kirigakure, slanted across his head, and held a monstrous sword with the blade resting on the floor.

With very little effort, the man picked up the sword with a single hand and pointed it at the short man. "Stop your bitching Gatō, I'll go myself this time and kill them all."

"Are you sure?" Gatō asked questioned. "It seems the enemy is rather skilled if they took down the Demon Brothers. And they'll be on high alert now."

"Who do you think I am? There's a reason I've been called the Demon of the Mist, Zabuzua Momochi. Consider them dead."

 **-With Team 7-**

Kakashi let out a sigh after the Demon Brothers finished giving him everything he wanted to know. "This mission just went from a low C-rank to a high A-rank since we'll be dealing with Zabuzua Momochi."

Tazuna lowered his head. "I apologize for lying to you all. The truth is my country doesn't have the funds to pay for anything higher than your village's rate for a C-rank mission. Gatō's makeshift dictatorship destroyed our trading with other villages. He's also heavily involved with drugs and other illegal items. Our main problem is that he hires ninja to keep his company going, there isn't much the Land of Waves can do against him."

Sakura looked at Tazuna confusingly. "Why can't the Land of Waves just send some high-ranking ninja to take him out?"

"Not all countries have ninja, Sakura. Some have samurai, but some have no type of military at all. Meaning they have to outsource their military to other villages."

"We can't even do that, Gatō completely controls all exports. That's our land's only source of income. The bridge I'm building is the only way we can reconnect with the rest of the world and prosper once more."

Sasuke glanced at the elderly man. "So that's why Gatō hired them to kill you. If that bridge gets finished, then it'll ruin his hold over your town."

Tazuna kept his gaze to the ground. "Yes. And I'm the only one who knows how to create a bridge like the one we need, if I die then it'll never be completed."

Kakashi gave a small eye smile as he looked over his team. "It's up to you guys if we continue this mission or head back to the village and inform Lord Hokage. What do you guys think?"

Before anyone could voice their concerns, Naruto spoke up.

"There's no need for discussion, we're going to continue the mission. We are more than capable than holding our own against anyone we face. I don't even see why you would ask the question, sensei."

Kakashi did agree with his blonde student but he wanted to get a unanimous agreement because they had to feel ready. The only concern for the grey-haired was that Sakura wasn't physically strong enough to handle fighting someone of Zabuzua's caliber, her mental strength was second to none when compared to that of Naruto and Sasuke.

"Does everyone agree?"

The other two genin nodded, Sakura more furiously than Sasuke.

"We'll go through with the mission Tazuna."

Tazuna breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you so much. I'll make sure I find someway to repay you for the trouble I've caused."

Team 7 was about to begin their traveling once more before Sakura spoke up.

"What about them? We can't leave them in there, can we?" She pointed over to the two captured rouge shinobi that were still trapped in Naruto's jutsu.

Kakashi rubbed the bottom of his chin. "I suppose your right." He glanced over to Naruto. "What do you think Naruto? You were the one who captured them after all."

Naruto thought for a moment before reaching into his back pouch to pull out a small book. He flipped through the pages until he came to the one he was searching for. "These guys have a sizable bounty on their heads for being mid-level C-Rank missing shinobi. I think there is a collection office not to far from here, we could turn them in and let the people who want them deal with them. Plus, pocket the reward as compensation for unknowingly getting dealt a A-Rank mission."

Kakashi nodded. "Normally, I would be all for that, but we are on a bit of a tight schedule. I'm afraid we don't have the time for a detour."

"I can send my shadow clones while we push forward, they'll catch up once they've finished."

Kakashi thought over Naruto's plan. He saw no issue with it and nodded his head in agreement. Naruto nodded as well and created four shadow clones. "You know what to do."

The four clones nodded and made their way over to the bound missing ninja.

With the Demon Brothers being escorted by the team of clones, Tazuna, with Team Seven as his escort, continued their journey towards the Land of Waves. A few hours passed, and the team came to a lake with a docked boat. Tazuna informed that this boat was for them to enter the Land of Waves.

It didn't take very long for team of genin to realize the sudden decline in visibility as they departed from the wooden dock.

"I can't see a damn thing!" Sakura complained. She could barely see her teammates in the boat next to her, let alone what was in front of her.

"That's the Hidden Mist for you." Tazuna chuckled. "Everything is hidden in a thick mist."

"Is it always like this?" Sasuke questioned.

"More or less." The bridge builder shrugged. "Honestly, I've never seen the fog get this bad before, but I'm not surprised that it is."

Kakashi slightly lifted his head from his book, who somehow could read it despite the thick mist, and thought about the elder man's words. 'If he's lived here all his life and never seen the mist this dense…I'll have to keep my guard up.'

It didn't take much longer for Team Seven and Tazuna to reach the landing dock. They slowly walked further into the small town. Water was on either side of them and trees were growing out of the water made a nice view as you walked by. Naruto thought the scene was beautiful.

They came to a small forest that led towards the main part of the small town. The group suddenly stopped when a snow rabbit scurried across the path.

Sakura breathed out a sigh of relief. "It was just a rabbit."

Naruto immediately knew something was off. "It's the dead middle of summer, it doesn't make sense for a snow rabbit to be around. It's just like that puddle."

A giant sword flew across the clearing. Naruto sensed the danger and quickly grabbed Sakura and pulled her over out of the way while Sasuke did the same with Tazuna. Kakashi simply just dodged the blade entirely. The sword launched itself into a tree and, instantly, a large, tall man stood on the handle.

"Kakashi Hatake…what an honor it is to meet you."

Kakashi finally looked up from his book and placed it in his back pouch. "Zabuza Momochi, I've been wondering when you'd show up."

A small scoff escaped Zabuza's bandaged face. "I see the Demon Brother's didn't keep their mouth shut."

"It was the easiest interrogation I've ever been apart of."

The missing ninja looked over the three genin. "I must say, I'm shocked that your brats dodged my sword without your help."

Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine as she physically flinched at the gaze of Zabuza. Sasuke didn't let it show but he felt the same fear as his female teammate. Naruto stepped forward and stood next to his sensei.

"Hey sensei, mind if I take the lead?"

Not only were Sakura, Sasuke, and Tazuna shocked by Naruto's statement, Zabuza took the comment as an insult. A freaking genin wanting to take him alone?! Zabuza vanished and appeared behind Naruto with his massive sword in hand.

"I'll show you to not underestimate me!"

Zabuza, with blinding speed, brought the sword down and sliced Naruto completely in half. Before anyone could react to the sudden attack, the two halves of Naruto suddenly exploded. Both Kakashi and Zabuza emerged from the smoke cloud unharmed.

"An exploding shadow clone? That's some technique to teach a genin." Zabuza commented. "You must be a damn good teacher, Kakashi."

The grey-haired man let out a small chuckle. "I wish I could say I was, but Naruto is mostly self-taught."

Zabuza wanted to question the man more but was stopped by the same blonde that appeared in front of him, ready to strike. Naruto could hear Sakura's happy cries behind him, but he paid no mind to them as he and Zabuza exchanged blows.

The two dueled throughout the clearing as a very thick mist began to cover the surrounding area. Zabuza disengaged and disappeared into the mist. Naruto scanned the immediate area but couldn't see the S-Rank missing ninja. Naruto let out a sigh as he turned and headed back to his team, where he could hear his sensei's screams for him to return.

Kakashi let out the breath he had been holding when Naruto landed into the formation that Sakura and Sasuke had created to protect Tazuna. Kakashi looked back over his shoulder. "You guys stay here with Tazuna, I'll handle Zabuza."

Kakashi turned back and lifted his headband from over his eye, revealing his Sharingan.

"I guess I better get serious." He said to himself as he faded away into the mist.

 **-With Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke-**

The three genin couldn't see the battle between Kakashi and Zabuza but they sure could hear it. The clashing of steel and the occasional taunt made Naruto started to grow restless. He wanted to challenge himself against Zabuza to see how far he had come. He couldn't gauge his abilities good enough in that short bout. Fighting Jiraiya was one thing, that was training and the Sannin held everything back. This was real life; the possibility of death was high. Naruto felt an odd mixture of fear and excitement.

Sasuke kept his calm and collected demeanor as he continuously scanned the dense fog for any threat. He was ready, he had prepared for this. But there was still that lingering doubt that always plagued the young Uchiha. The doubt that he would somehow blunder and lose his chance for revenge against the man that took everything from him. Sasuke would not fall _he_ laid dead at his feet!

Sakura was the most visibly shaken by what was happening around her. She knew of the risks that came with being a ninja but didn't expect to be fighting an S-Rank missing ninja on her first mission outside the village. She was anything but prepared for this! Sure, she felt safe with her teammates around but that still didn't drown out the fear.

Suddenly, the surrounding area grew silent. The sounds of the battle had stopped. The silence lasted a few minutes, making the team of genin and Tazuna worried for their sensei. Naruto didn't like it and decided to deal with the fog around them to figure out what was going on.

He went through a series of hand signs. " _Kazakiri no Jutsu!"_ (Wind Burst technique)

All the fog instantly vanished as a quick, yet strong wave of wind washed away the fog in the area. Zabuza had trapped Kakashi in a chakra infused ball of water. There was a clone that stood in front of the real Zabuza, acting as the guard.

Sasuke gasped when he noticed the Sharingan in Kakashi's left eye. He stared at Kakashi in a mix of shock and confusion. 'How the hell does he have the Sharingan?! Kakashi isn't an Uchiha! That's not possible!'

Both Sakura and Tazuna, who knew of the Uchiha kekki genkai, had similar thoughts overrunning their brains. Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly when he noticed the scar running over the eye.

'Surgically implanted? There's not many medics that can transfer body parts like that. I wonder if this was _her_ doing?'

Naruto didn't dwell on his thoughts about Kakashi's Sharingan but instead on how he would free his sensei from that water prison. The blonde took notice that Zabuza, the real one, had his hand placed in the ball itself, as if he was holding it together. That gave the clone reason to act as the guard. Maybe he could hold off the clone while Sasuke figured out a way to release Zabuza's hold on the water prison. But then Sakura would be left alone to protect Tazuna.

Naruto was thrown from his thoughts when Sasuke suddenly drew a windmill shuriken, specialty weapon for ninja. The two glanced at one another, a plan formulating instantly. Naruto smirked as he nodded, then pulled out a normal kunai.

"Now Naruto!"

The blonde threw the kunai as Sasuke also threw the giant shuriken. The clone simply sidestepped both weapons as they continued towards the real Zabuza. Zabuza merely dodged the kunai and caught the windmill shuriken.

"Ha! Is that all you got?!"

Zabuza was about to break into a bit of laughter but was grabbed at the back and thrown into a tree, pulling his hand from the jutsu and ultimately breaking Kakashi free. Zabuza didn't have much time to defend himself from Naruto's quick strikes. As the two fought for a second time, Zabuza noticed that it was a clone of the blonde that threw him.

'This gaki transformed a clone into a kunai? I never saw a hand sign. He must've preplanned it and transformed the clone beforehand…talk about thinking ahead.'

The real Naruto and the real Zabuza dueled once again as Kakashi quickly dealt with the Zabuza clone. Kakashi waited for an opening to engage Zabuza himself. Surprisingly, Naruto was holding his own against the rouge ninja. Zabuza jumped from Naruto and Kakashi saw his opening and followed him out onto the pond.

Sasuke and Sakura watched in amazement as Kakashi and Zabuza stood on the water as if it was solid ground. How was that even possible?!

The two charged at each other with the intent to end this once and for all. Zabuza with his sword and Kakashi with a simple kunai. The two fought for a while until something became very clear, Kakashi was copying Zabuza's every move. The swordsman ran to the right, but Kakashi followed him perfectly. Zabuza stopped and raised his hand while keeping his other hand to his front, preparing for a jutsu. Kakashi stood in the exact same stance.

" _Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"_

Both Kakashi and Zabuza announced at the same time, the dragons began to swirl around the casters before colliding and resulting in a mist explosion. When the mist cleared, Kakashi and Zabuza were fighting hand to hand once more. It was clear Zabuza was having hard time keeping up with the Copy Cat.

"All you're doing is coping me you-"

"-You monkey bastard!"

Zabuza's eyes widened as he grit his teeth, growing tired of Kakashi's mind tricks. "I'm going to make it so you can never open that damn mouth of yours again!"

Kakashi snapped through another series of hand signs were too quick to follow. Zabuza was too distracted by Kakashi's Sharingan and the distilled image of himself that appeared behind Kakashi.

" _Suiton: Mizu no bakuhatsu!"_

Water surrounded Kakashi and Zabuza watched in utter shock as it exploded towards him. Zabuza slammed into a tree, hard. Before he could fall to the ground, Zabuza was pinned to the tree by kunai that were thrown by Kakashi.

"It's over…"

Zabuza looked up towards Kakashi, who was now crouching on a tree branch above him.

"Can you see the future, Kakashi?!"

Now emotionless, Kakashi stared at Zabuza. "Yeah…and you're dead."

The Copy Cat ninja raised his kunai to send Zabuza to the afterlife, but was a second too late because two senbon needles pierced the swordsman's neck. Kakashi watched closely as a hunter ninja appeared in front of Zabuza's dead body and let out a small chuckle.

"You're right…he did die."

The ninja started to pick up the lifeless body as the mysterious ninja looked at Kakashi.

"I've been waiting for my chance to kill Zabuza for while now. As one would think, he's not the easiest to track down. Let alone take down in a fight. I thank you. Now, please excuse me so I can dispose of the body."

Kakashi gave a nod as the hunter ninja turned to leave with the body in his arms. But the ninja was stopped when Naruto landed in the ninja's path with a raised eyebrow.

"I thought hunter ninja eliminated the body were it lies, no exception."

Kakashi's eyes shot wide open as the realization hit him. 'How did I miss that?'

The hunter ninja dropped Zabuza's body as he took a battle stance, Naruto smirked and followed suit.

"Let's go wild!"

Naruto charged at the ninja but was shocked to find the ninja was fast, _really fast_. In the blink of an eye, the hunter ninja was behind Naruto and ready to strike. The blonde spun around and blocked two senbon with his bare hands, the needles piercing through his hands completely. There was no time to draw a kunai, it was the only choice.

"No regard for your body I see. A rare thing to find in someone so young."

Naruto fully extended his arms, overpowering the masked hunter ninja. He may be fast but physical strength was his weakness. The sound of something rather heavy hitting the ground drew Naruto's attention momentarily away from the ninja. Kakashi was lying face down on the ground. Both Sakura and Sasuke were already running towards him.

The hunter ninja noticed the distraction and capitalized. He kicked Naruto in the stomach and pushed him. By the time Naruto recovered, the hunter ninja had already vanished with Zabuza's body.

"Damnit." Naruto sighed as he nursed his hand wounds. He clenched them slowly, trying to deal with the pain, as he walked over to his team, who were trying to help their sensei.

"What's wrong with him?"

"Simple chakra exhaustion, nothing serious." Sasuke answered.

Naruto nodded and studied his sensei now that he was closer to see the scar over his left eye. "So, it was implanted. It must take a lot out of him to use it like he did."

"That's amazing that someone could transfer an eyeball from one person to another. It must be difficult." Sakura said.

"You aren't wrong. Transferring body parts from person to person is highly advanced medical ninjutsu. Hell, basic medical ninjutsu is hard to understand. You need a very good teacher."

Sasuke looked at Naruto in confusion. "You sound like you're talking from experience."

Naruto looked lost in thought for a moment before shaking his head slightly, throwing whatever he was thinking about away. "No. Just going off some scrolls I read." That wasn't a complete lie.

"You know medical ninjutsu?" Sakura questioned.

Naruto shrugged as he covered his hand wounds with bandages. The healing factor of the Kyuubi was starting to kick in and the steam that followed was beginning to leak out of his wounds. Naruto thought best to not get into that subject with his teammates. "I wouldn't say I know medical ninjutsu, just familiar with out it works and able to perform self-aid when I need to."

Sakura and Sasuke wanted to question the blonde more, since they knew very little about him, but Tazuna walked up to them.

"I'm sorry to interrupt but I believe it would be best to leave this place and get somewhere safer. My house isn't too far from here, we can go there and recover."

Team 7 nodded, all agreeing that it was the best to get somewhere safe for their sensei to recover. Naruto created two shadow clones to carry Kakashi as the team followed Tazuna to his house up the road.


	5. Chapter 5

The couple of hours were spent traveling down the road towards Tazuna's house. Tazuna turned down a small road to a small house, quickly making his way to the door so he could open it for the Naruto clones to bring Kakashi in. But before the old man was able to open it, a younger woman burst through and ensnared him in a loving hug.

"Thank goodness you're safe! I was so worried!"

Tazuna let out a chuckle, breaking away from the woman's embrace. "I'm quite alright, Tsunami. These ninjas are quite strong for their age."

The woman known as Tsunami smiled at the genin before seeing Kakashi being carried by the two clones. "Quickly, bring him!"

The lead clone nudged his head towards the door and led the other clone inside the house. Tazuna, Sakura, and Sasuke followed suit, Naruto stayed outside for a moment and examined the house. The outside of the home, despite the size, was nice. He couldn't say much though. His apartment wasn't even half the size of the house in front of him. Hell, his room on the mountain wasn't as big as his entire apartment.

As the blonde entered, he examined the house further. The inside was much nicer than the outside would have you think by how it looked. He navigated himself through the house to the kitchen where the others already were, the clones had placed Kakashi on a couch in the room just beyond the kitchen.

Tsunami made sure Kakashi was set up correctly and comfortably before coming into the kitchen and serving everyone with a cup of tea. Then she sat down herself next to Tazuna.

"Now that everyone is all settled, I guess we can introduce ourselves. I'm Tsunami, Tazuna's daughter. Thank you so much for keeping my father safe and bringing him all the way back here."

Sakura smiled brightly, Sasuke nodded, and Naruto responded for the team.

"There's no need for thanks. It's our mission."

Tsunami nodded and smiled. She did look for the genin for a moment before a questioning look came on her face. "I have to say though, I'm surprised to see how young you three are. You must be strong since you've made it this far."

Tazuna chuckled before looking over the genin himself. "You'd be surprised."

For the next couple of hours, Team Seven talked with Tazuna and Tsunami. It was mostly Sakura, Naruto and Sasuke would throw in their comments sporadically. Sakura went on about her home life and childhood, telling about how her parents were too overbearing about her being a ninja but supported her regardless. She left out the part about her being bullied for her forehead but continued to say she had a happy childhood.

Sasuke was tight lipped when the topic of their childhoods and past was given to him. The Uchiha simply gave a grunt and turned his head away when the others looked to him. Tazuna and Tsunami both knew of the incident and would not press the subject onto the boy. Sakura grew tense but was quickly relived when Sasuke didn't respond.

Naruto looked up from his somewhat blank stare and noticed all eye were on him now. It was his 'turn' to share. Despite Sasuke being tight lipped about his past, Naruto's past was the one that was bathed in mystery. Sakura was all ears while Sasuke kept his eyes trained on the blonde.

He let out a sigh. "I don't suppose I can get out of this?"

"C'mon Naruto," Sakura whined, "we don't know anything about you."

"Aren't teams supposed to be built on trust? Telling your secrets is one of the best things you can do to build that trust." Tsunami said.

Sakura nodded furiously and turned back to her teammate.

Naruto let out another sigh. "What do you want to know?"

"Where did you come from?" Sasuke blurted out. "I don't remember seeing you around the village until we started our classes at the Academy. It was like you were made from thin air."

Sakura waited intently for Naruto's response, she was glad to hear that she wasn't the only one who noticed.

"That's because I was never in the village until I was six-years-old."

"What do you mean? Where were you?" Sakura questioned.

Naruto looked at Sakura in her eyes. "Elsewhere." There wasn't much room for discussion.

"Who were you with? Were your parents- "

Something flared up behind Naruto's eyes and Sakura could see it. It caught her attention so much so that she stopped mid-sentence, her words dying in her throat. The other three noticed Sakura's hesitation and looked at Naruto closer. His pupils were struggling to grow, like growing to slits.

"Parents…" Naruto stared blankly for a moment before shaking his head, his eyes returning to normal. "I didn't have parents. They…died a long time ago."

Sakura leaned in closer to the blonde. "T-They died? Who did you live with? Who took care of you?"

His mind flashed Jiraiya, his nails digging into the wood of the table. "Caretaker." He said through gritted teeth.

Sasuke noticed the clenching jaw. "Who's the Caretaker?"

Naruto's response came in the from of low growl. "Sannin…" Naruto shook his head to the left, then to the right, before suddenly standing up. His chair fell back from the sudden jerk. "I need to go."

Naruto quickly rushed out of the house and into the forest.

"Naruto wait!" Sakura chased after him.

Sasuke let out another grunt before joining in the chase. He stopped momentarily and turned back to Tazuna and Tsunami. "I apologize for my teammate." Then left the house.

Naruto jumped from tree to tree, moving as fast as he possibly could before he tripped over his own feet and fell against the base of a random tree. He breathed heavily, not from his running but his struggle to keep control. He was shaking from trying to keep some type of control over himself.

'What the hell? What's happening? I've never felt a pull like that.'

The blonde went through one of the controlled breathing exercises that the Sandaime had taught him to calm himself and regain control. Once he felt that pull go away and finally became relaxed, Naruto reached into the pouch and pulled out a scroll to read.

He glanced through the writing of the scroll until he found where he left off.

"The Gate of View…located in the stomach. The effects further increase speed and strength than the five gates before. Hm. No wonder the Eight Inner Gates are so legendary.'

Naruto tried to open the first gate a few years back, the Gate of Opening. The user must push all their chakra into a specified area of the body. It required unbelievable amounts of chakra control and the ability to hold the chakra into that pinpointed place. It showed Naruto just how bad he was at chakra control. He remembered the Third saying the reason for his horrible control over his chakra was because of the massive amounts of chakra he possessed. The more chakra you have, the less control you have over it.

When Naruto first tried to open the first gate, he nearly killed himself. He got frustrated by his lack of progress and channeled too much chakra to his brain. The Kyuubi said that the only reason he didn't die was because him. That was also the last time the Kyuubi had spoken to him.

"Naruto!"

The blonde looked up to see Sakura and Sasuke running towards him.

"Yes?" He asked when the two stopped in front of him.

"Are you okay?" Sakura panted.

"Yeah? Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, that little episode back there causes question." Sasuke quipped.

Naruto let out a sigh. There wasn't much chance in getting out of giving some type of answer to their questions. 'They are my teammates, after all.'

"Look, there is a lot you guys don't know about me. I understand that you want to know, I would too if the roles were reversed. But you have to give me some time. It's been awhile since I've been around people that haven't tried to kill me. I'm not really used to it."

"People have tried to kill you?" Sakura knelt to eye level.

Naruto nodded, not meeting Sakura's eyes. "…Multiple times."

Sakura blinked a few times, realizing that the blonde was not joking. The truth was written behind those blue eyes, the boy had faced death on more than one occasion. Even Sasuke noticed this and was surprised by this.

"Why…?"

Naruto opened his mouth to speak but stopped, seemingly to rethink his answer. He looked down again. "I'm not sure. It started when I came to the village and it hasn't stopped."

"Who tries to kill you?" Sasuke questioned, moving to stand next to the still kneeling Sakura.

This question, Naruto did not answer. He rolled up his scroll while he stood up. Sasuke took notice to the kanji that was drawn on the scroll when it was placed in Naruto's back pouch. The Uchiha waited a few moments for Naruto to answer but realized it was never coming.

"You're studying the Eight Gates?"

Naruto nodded. "It's something I've wanted to learn for a long time, but that's easier said than done."

Sakura had a confused look on her face. "The Eight Gates?"

"The Eight Inner Gates are specific points in a person's chakra network. The idea of the Eight Gates is to unlock those gates because they limit the amount of chakra that flows through your network. To open each gate, you have to channel most of your chakra through each point." Naruto answered.

"What does that do?"

"You'll surpass your own physical limits with each gate you open, increasing your strength and speed tenfold, all at the expense of your body. You can cause extreme damage to your body if you overuse this. Hell, if you use the eighth gate you'll die."

"Rumors say if you are fighting someone who opens the sixth gate, or higher, to run. They'll have become too powerful to stop." Sasuke added.

"That's some technique." Sakura said, shockingly. "And you're studying this, Naruto?"

The blonde nodded again. "My goal is to master all Eight Gates, without the side effects of over usage."

"Even the eighth gate? The one that kills you?" Sasuke raised his eyebrow.

Naruto's smirk was all Sasuke needed to know Naruto's answer. "You're serious?"

The smirk disappeared, and he placed his hand for his stomach, feeling the beast slightly stir within him. "You never know unless you try."

The trio made their way back to Tazuna's house just as the sun was beginning to set. They entered the house through main door and walked back into the kitchen. They were greeted by their sensei, who was seated at the table with a plate of food set in front of him.

"Yo."

"Kakashi sensei!" Sakura cheered. "You're awake!"

"I thought you'd be out for another day, at least." Naruto commented, taking at seat next to the man.

"Are you able to move much?" Sasuke questioned.

Before Kakashi could respond for himself, Tsunami answered for him.

"I forbade him from moving unless he needs to. But he's not the only one I'm worried about." The woman turned to Naruto. "Are you okay? You gave us quite a scare when you ran out like that."

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "I'm sorry, I just had an…unpleasant memory."

Sakura and Sasuke held their tongues from making any comments about what happened. It seemed to them, Naruto had a trigger if you wanted to piss him off. And if he was that strong without using his anger as a catalyst, who knows how strong he'd become.

"Anyway, I bet you three are hungry. You didn't get a chance to eat yet. I'll make something quick."

The three waited patiently for the food while Tazuna and Kakashi went back to their conversation they were having before they were interrupted.

"Now, back to what we were talking about." Tazuna said. He sighed before continuing. "It's a pretty big risk, don't you think?"

"I won't lie, there isn't much of a positive side to our situation. We may have the numbers advantage, but we don't know how strong that boy- "

"Girl. That hunter ninja was a girl." Naruto spoke up.

Sakura raised her eyebrow. "And how would you know that?"

"Her physical strength was horrible compared to mine."

Sakura grew physically agitated. "Are you saying that a woman can't be stronger than a man?!"

Naruto shook his head, keeping his collected demeanor. "No. Men are just physically stronger than woman by the fact that our bodies are made to be so. But there are women out there that can overpower any man they want. I know for one that can kill a person with a single punch."

"Now that's impressive." Sasuke commented.

"Back to our discussion," Kakashi began, "we don't know how strong that _girl_ is. I have no doubt that Naruto and Sasuke could take her, and me Zabuza, but that would leave Sakura protecting Tazuna alone. I'm not down playing Sakura's abilities, but if something to happen to where she was the only one standing between Tazuna and either of them. Sakura wouldn't be strong enough to hold them off."

Sakura's head dropped slightly, trying to hide her disappointment. Naruto noticed this.

"I think it's safe to say that me and Naruto could take that masked ninja." Sasuke stated.

Naruto nodded in agreement. "And besides, I can use my clones to help with Tazuna's protection if need be. I'll make sure Sakura isn't left alone."

Sakura picked her head back up, seeing Naruto smiling at her slightly. Hearing that he'd spare a few clones to help her out made her feel a little better.

Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Good to hear. Now we just need to figure out Gatō's loca- "

"There's no point in trying to fight Gatō. You're all going to die, anyway."

Naruto raised his eyebrow at the small boy that had just walked into the kitchen, not because of his words but because of his outfit. He was wearing green and white stripped hat with green overalls. It was strange, if Naruto was completely honest.

"And what makes you so sure about that?"

The boy glared daggers at the blonde, clenching his fists in fury. "Gatō is too strong and too powerful to be killed! You'll be slaughtered on the spot! Just run away and stop pretending to be strong because you're not!"

Naruto chuckled. "Kid, we're ninja. We accept the chance that we could die at any moment on a mission. It's honor to give your life for something bigger than yourself and letting others prosper because of your sacrifice."

"You don't get it! These people are trying to **kill** you! If you value anything in your life you'd run and never come back!"

"It's because we value what's important to us is why we welcome the chance of death. And I'm not the type to just hide under my covers when someone I know could be killed. I'll die before I let my comrades die."

"You have no idea what I've been through! You have no right to say anything to me! There is no such thing as a hero!" The boy bolted back the way he came. There was sounds of rapid footsteps going up a set of stairs then a door slamming shut.

Tazuna let out a sigh, watching Tsunami quickly follow the boy upstairs. "I apologize for my grandson. He hasn't been himself lately. He lost his father and completely turned himself off from the world. He's lost all hope."

"What happened to his father?" Sakura asked

"Kaiza was the hero of the city. He was the hope that kept this town alive. If something was going on, Kaiza was the one who put a stop to it. No matter the problem, he'd fix it. That is until Gatō arrived. Gatō saw Kaiza as a threat to his corporation. To show that nothing like that would stand, Gatō publicly executed Kaiza."

"What…?" Sakura gasped. Even Naruto and Sasuke were shocked.

Naruto turned his head towards the stairs, knowing the boy was up there.

"Ever since that day, nothing has ever been the same. The town lost hope. Both Tsunami and Inari changed and still haven't recovered."

There was a silence that followed the Tazuna's words, there wasn't much to say after a story like that.

Kakashi let out a sigh. "I'll be waking you three up early tomorrow. We have things to do."

 **-The Next Day-**

The following morning, Team Seven woke up early. Nothing Sasuke and Naruto weren't already used to, but Sakura had never woken up before six o'clock in the morning. It was certainly a shock to the pink haired girl when she was woken by her crutch bound sensei at half past four. She was left questioning why she was woken up so early because Kakashi left immediately after to wake up the two males, who were already awake.

Sakura was having a hard time focusing as she trailed her two teammates, she couldn't help herself from yawning almost constantly. But she was surprised every time she looked at the backs of Naruto and Sasuke. They both appeared to be wide awake, never letting a yawn escape their mouths.

"How can you two be so awake so early?" Sakura yawned, for seemingly the hundredth time.

Naruto glanced back to his female teammate. "I do a few stretches to wake myself up. They help me limber up for my training."

"Is that we're up so early? To train?" Sakura rubbed her eye, trying to suppress her yawn.

"It would make sense." Sasuke spoke up. "Why else would Kakashi sensei want us up this earlier a day after fighting an S-Rank missing shinobi?"

Sakura knew Sasuke's question was rhetorical and decided it was best not to answer.

The three followed the path a bit further until they came to a small opening in the many trees where Kakashi was waiting for them, leaning on his one crutch and reading his favorite book. He lowered the book and gave an eye smile to his students.

"Good morning you three. Glad to see you all woke up on time."

Sakura grumbled. "You woke me up, sensei."

"True, but I half expected you to fall back asleep and not show up until later in the morning."

Sakura grumbled to herself even more as Naruto stepped forward. "So, what are we doing out here, sensei? Especially so early?"

"Well, Naruto, we don't have much time before Zabuza recovers and comes after Tazuna again. I need to do everything I can to get you three ready for that time."

"How long do you think we have?" Sasuke asked.

Kakashi rubbed his chin thoughtfully for a moment before answering. "A few days, a week at the most."

Naruto shifted his neck, popping it a few times, then shifting it to the other side. "Then let's get started!" He slammed his fist into his hand.

"I appreciate the enthusiasm, Naruto, but we are starting off with something simple. The tree climbing exercise."

"Um, sensei?" Sakura spoke up. "We're ninja, I think climbing a tree isn't something we need to train on."

"Okay Sakura go climb that tree without using your hands." Kakashi pointed to the tree to his left.

"…That's not possible sensei."

"Oh really? Well that's why we are going to train." Kakashi turned to the tree he pointed at but Naruto spoke up and stopped him.

"Kakashi sensei, I already know how to do this."

The grey-haired man's lone visible eye slightly widened and turned back. "You do?"

Naruto nodded before sprinting towards the tree and continued his path up the tree, without breaking stride. His two teammates watched very intently as he ran all the way to the top of the tree, showing it took very little effort. He crossed his arms and smirked arrogantly as he stood triumphant atop the tree.

"How long have you known how to do this?" Kakashi called out, mildly impressed.

Naruto thought for a moment. "Since I was six or seven. It was in one of the scrolls that Ojiisan gave me to study from."

Sasuke grit his teeth in frustration. He could see Naruto's cocky smirk from the bottom of the tree. He also clenched his fists in aggravation as he stared at the blonde. 'I swear to kami, I'll beat the cockiness out of him one day. He thinks he's so much better than everyone else. I'll be the one to change that!'

Sakura stared up in awe. Naruto ran up that tree with relative ease, it just proved that he wasn't lying that he had mastered this at such a young age. She would give anything to have the natural talent Naruto, and Sasuke for that matter, had. She had a long way to go if she ever wanted to make it to his current level.

"Mastering this will allow you to defy gravity." Kakashi said, now standing upside down on a branch. Sakura and Sasuke's shock grew even more when they noticed this. "Focusing your chakra to your feet will make you stick to the surface of the tree, almost like a glue."

"How will this help in our fight against Zabuza and that hunter ninja?" Sasuke questioned.

Before Kakashi could answer, Naruto fell past his sensei and landed in front of his teammates. "Chakra control helps improve your stamina and help with performing jutsu. Theoretically, mastering this technique can help you master any jutsu you want…says the scroll that is."

"Correct Naruto." Kakashi crutched his way back down the tree and stood next to his blonde student. "But don't think this is an easy thing to learn, even the most skilled ninja can have trouble with this. Channel too much chakra and the tree will break, don't channel enough and you won't stick and fall. Use a kunai to mark your progress as you climb."

Sakura and Sasuke nodded, realizing precision is the key to this. They both took out a kunai and turned to a different tree.

Kakashi watched them for moment before looking at his blonde-haired student. "Seeing how you already know this, I would go ahead and start you on something else but that would require me to be at full strength."

"It's okay sensei. I'm used to training by myself. I prefer it really." Naruto turned and headed to a different part of the forest. "Just send for me when it's time to head back."

 **-Hours later-**

Naruto was laying on the forest floor, limbs spread out. His eyes were closed as he enjoyed the cooling breeze. He was taking a break from his training to catch his breath and to study a new scroll, but the ground was too comfortable now to grab his storage scroll.

There was a small shuffle of the grass next to him. He opened his eyes to see a girl, about his age, with long black hair and wear a pink sleeveless kimono with small plum-colored swirls, standing over him with a basket in hand. The girl's face was rather attractive, she was cuter than Sakura.

"You'll catch a cold if you sleep out here." She said sweetly.

Naruto sat up and the girl stepped back. He wanted to argue that he wasn't sleeping but he knew if she hadn't just come here he would probably be sleeping. He caught something familiar about this girl.

"Who are you?"

She smiled again, kneeling to his level. "My name is Haku."

"Nice to meet you Haku, I'm Naruto Uzumaki."

Haku kept smiling as she looked over the blond. "You're a ninja?"

Naruto smirked and nodded. "You bet!"

"What are you doing out here all by yourself?"

"I was training."

Haku smiled cutely. "It seems quite hard if you look like this by midday."

Naruto nodded. "I have to train really hard to accomplish my goal."

"What's your goal?"

"I want to become strong, really strong."

"Hm. But you already look really strong. "

Naruto shook his head. "No, I just don't want to be strong. I want to be the strongest of all. I want to prove to my home village they were wrong about me, wrong for everything they've done. And then get the acknowledgement if the one person that I hold above everyone else."

Haku stared at Naruto, examining him and his words, but covering her mouth with her hand and giggling slightly.

"What's so funny?"

"This that one person whose acknowledgement means the most to you someone you care deeply about or someone who's wronged you?"

"…No, this person hasn't wronged me. I've sworn to protect them with my life."

Haku's eyes went dull, staring blankly slightly to the side. Her childhood and past flashing through her mind. The loss of her parents. Surviving on the streets in the cold winter. All leading to the point she met _him_.

"When you have something you want to protect, that is when you become truly strong."

Naruto let the words sink into his young, yet experienced, brain. Those words would come to be the very foundation for Naruto as he grew up, growing into the man that would change the world. He just didn't know yet.

"I understand that very well."

The two shared a heartwarming, innocent smile. Then Haku turned to leave.

"You will become strong. Let's meet again some time."

Naruto nodded. "Of course…Oh, and Haku?" He waited for the girl to stop and turn her back to him. "Next time don't let an enemy ninja get that close to you."

The girl turned fully around, shock filling her features. "How'd you know?"

"Your scent. I remember it."

"Are you some kind of tracker ninja?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. Just a man of all trades."

Haku narrowed her eyes. "After our little encounter, I did a little bit of research on you. Despite your file being double S-Rank, it was quite easy for Gatō to gain access to it. Perfect scores on the graduation exam in Konoha's academy, yet you would skip for weeks at a time. How is it a boy, who was considered dead last, can become the strongest of all?"

"Never judge a book by its cover."

Haku suddenly turned to leave. "Remember your own words."

"I'm assuming Zabuza is still alive and that we'll see him soon?" Naruto's words were more of a statement instead of a question, knowing full well that the swordsman was very much alive.

Haku turned her head back. "Zabuza and I still have a job to complete for Gatō, that bridge builder must die."

Naruto rolled his shoulders, loosening himself, as he stood up. "I can't let that happen Haku. It's my mission to protect that old man."

"You're not strong enough to take on a person like Gatō. He may not be a ninja, but money holds a very similar power over people like chakra can."

Naruto scoffed. "You're the second person to tell me I shouldn't fight that guy. All it's doing is making me want to fight him more and more, it's getting me all excited."

Haku shook her head. "You don't understand. But you will. Gatō does not have a moral code, nothing is off limits. He will find out your greatest weakness and use it against you with no remorse. No matter who or what it is."

Naruto narrowed his eyes, recalling the story of Inari's father from the other night. If Gatō was willing to publicly kill a man for simply being helpful to his community, then what other dark things was this man capable of doing?


	6. Chapter 6

The next day was completely devoted to training for Team Seven. Sakura and Sasuke were continuing to master the tree climbing exercise while Naruto was tasked to protect Tazuna when he went to work on the bridge, though Naruto read his scrolls while the men worked.

Sasuke struggled with the chakra control at first. While Kakashi had given him the warning that too much or too little chakra wouldn't work, the actual controlling the chakra was the hard part for the Uchiha. It seemed that this was the first thing Sasuke struggled with for a long time and it showed, his frustration mounted even more when he saw how easily Sakura had taken to the exercise. Adding to the frustration he already had because Naruto had already mastered the technique.

In Kakashi's words, Sakura has a natural talent for chakra control, the best he had ever seen in all his years. There was a trade off for that talent, the girl had subpar chakra levels even for a genin. She doesn't have much chakra to control so that's where her talent for it comes from. But it's still impressive to see someone to have such control over her chakra, it wouldn't take much to increase her chakra levels. Then she'd really be a force to be reckoned with. Naruto had jokingly said that she'd be a good fit for the medical field, but Kakashi knew of the boy's experiences and knew he was being serious.

When Kakashi went to get Naruto after the day's training was over, he was surprised to see how hard the boy was training. The field Naruto was set up in was filled with open scrolls, spread out throughout the field. The trees had kunai embedded in them, along with shurikens and other various ninja tools. Kakashi also noticed that there had been sort of battle, multiple in fact. There were fist sized wholes in the trees, along in the ground, and Naruto was cut and bruised beyond measure, though his extreme healing factor was already kicking in.

It was a gantlet, as Naruto called it. A continuous funnel of shadows clones as his opponents, groups of ten shadow clones would enter every couple of minutes until Naruto either passed out or told them to stop.

Naruto never stopped until he passed out.

Kakashi gave Naruto the day off and tasked him out to protect Tazuna while he and his crew worked on the bridge. He originally was going to have Sakura go with him, and have Naruto and Sasuke work on their teamwork, but seeing how good Sakura was at chakra control and knowing how subpar she was at everything else he felt it was time for some one-on-one training with the young kunoichi.

It didn't take more than half the day for Sakura to have the tree climbing exercise down completely, Sasuke was still struggling with the precision that was required but he was making progress. Kakashi complimented Sakura on her success before taking her to a different part of the forest for some more training.

 **-The bridge-**

Naruto rolled up his third scroll of the day as the bell sounded for lunch break. The blonde sat on the finished part of the railing as he watched the construction workers put down their tools and break for some lunch. Tazuna finished talking to one of the workers before making his way towards him. Naruto did take notice that the man Tazuna had just finished talking to eyed him for a moment before walking away himself. That man was not the first eye him like that.

"Anything come up?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. It's been quiet all morning."

"Think anything will happen for the rest of the day?"

"Nah. Kakashi sensei said it would be a couple days before Zabuza would resurface. Besides, Zabuza wants to kill Kakashi before you."

Tazuna became confused. "I don't understand."

"It's a pride thing." Naruto waved it off. "Mind telling me why your workers have been eyeing me all morning?"

Tazuna sighed. "They don't feel safe with a kid watching them. I've vouched for you but it's no use. They think Gatō will kill them regardless of who's protecting them."

"I honestly thought you were over exaggerating about Gatō. It seems I was wrong."

"Gatō's hold over this town is like a sickness. If nothing is done about it, it'll only get worse."

Naruto sat thoughtfully, rubbing his chin slowly and fiddled with the scroll in his hand. He wasn't going to come up with anything sitting here, he needed to walk through the town. He stood from the railing and began to leave the worksite.

"Where are you going?"

Naruto didn't break stride. "I'm getting some lunch. I won't be long."

 **-A few hours later-**

Kakashi couldn't recall a time ever in his life was so impressed yet so disappointed in another human being, young girl no less. He had been training Sakura since midday and two things became very clear to the jōnin. Sakura's knowledge of the ninja world was boundless, she easily rivaled that Nara boy in intelligence. But, how could someone with such promise have virtually no skills in all other aspects of being a ninja? Sakura's genjutsu was far beyond her two teammates and her ability to learn at such a fast pace was on par with Naruto and his shadow clones.

Honestly, Sakura had the making to be the strongest kunoichi of her generation. There was just one thing holding her back.

"Hey Kakashi sensei, how do you think Sasuke is doing with his tree climbing? Do you think we should go and check up on him?"

Kakashi was never one to let his disappoint show but a very audible sigh escaped his masked face. "Don't worry about Sasuke, Sakura. He's strong enough to handle a simple chakra control exercise. Now, let's go over some basic taijutsu techniques and see how well you do with them."

"But maybe he could use my help? Sasuke was struggling when we left earlier."

More frustration showed, Sakura continued to be oblivious to it. "Sakura, you need to stop this obsession with Sasuke. Or, at least, contain so it doesn't interfere with your training because if this continues, you will die, and you will let your teammates down. Do you understand?"

"Haven't you ever been in love Kakashi sensei?" Sakura had a certain glow in her eyes that physically made Kakashi flinch, slightly. "I just can't help myself when I think about him. He's just so dreamy." Sakura squealed in delight.

"Sakura!" Kakashi finally snapped. "Enough! Let me make one thing clear to you. Sasuke is not someone you can win over by simply looking good and gawking at everything he does. There's only thing that gets Sasuke's attention and that is strength. Just look at Naruto. He's ahead of Sasuke in nearly every aspect and everything he does is to catch up to him so that he can beat him one day. He's not paying attention to you because he doesn't like your outfit or your hair, it's because you aren't strong."

Sakura's sudden drop in excitement and into a sullen mood made Kakashi think he might've gone a bit too far but the girl needed to hear this. Maybe it would snap her out of her fangirling stage once and for all.

"Listen Sakura, is gaining Sasuke's acknowledgement really your main goal in life? There isn't anything else you want to achieve?"

Sakura thought about her answer, keeping her gaze hidden under her long, pink bangs. "I-I want to be recognized, be known as a great kunoichi. I didn't come from a clan or a rich name. I want to be known as the kunoichi that came from nothing but got everything."

That surprised Kakashi, he wasn't expecting something like that from his female student. He never would have guessed she felt like this. He always assumed that she joined the academy for the sole reason to capture Sasuke's heart.

"Now, _that's_ a goal Sakura. I'm not saying your goal to get Sasuke's attention is a bad goal overall, it's just not a good goal for this life you've chosen. Emotions are what make us human but you can't let them cloud your judgement, especially yours Sakura. Naruto and Sasuke might be the muscle but you are the brain. Neither of them are as smart as you are. You can surpass them in time but only if you train hard enough."

Sakura looked up at her sensei in shock and disbelief. "Do you really think so, Kakashi sensei?"

Kakashi gave his classic eye smile. "I do think so. Now c'mon, let's try those taijutsu exercises."

 **-With Naruto-**

Naruto had perched himself on a tree branch that looked over a large mansion, surrounded by a tall, metal fence with men with weapons constantly patrolling it. He kept himself hidden by the leaves of the tree, but it wasn't like the men inside the fence would notice him simply crouching on the branch. They weren't aware enough to look up. Naruto watched the patterns of the patrols for a few minutes, seeing and memorizing the pattern they used. They were simple bandits with no special training, mainly training in how to utilize chakra. At best, they were decently trained in using the swords they carried.

Finding the mansion wasn't hard, seeing how it was built in the middle of the town, but that's not why he took so long to get there. He wondered if the town, seeing of what Tazuna had said about the town losing its hope was true. Unfortunately, it was. If Naruto was blind, he'd be convinced he was walking through a ghost town. He had never seen such emptiness in so many people. He wondered if this Kaiza could inspire hope in people like Tazuna said he did. A lot more than Naruto first thought.

'Those people are practically zombies, Gatō has completely run this town dry of, not only, it's resources but it's morale too. But I can feel the contempt for him, their hatred feels like a heavy fog. Given the right push and they'll revolt against him. But what could that be?'

Naruto pondered this idea for another few minutes before deciding it was time to head back to the bridge, he had already been gone for quite some time. He knew there wasn't any danger lurking, at least not now, or else the shadow clone he kept hidden would have dispelled itself and warned him, via the memory transfer. He took one more look at the mansion before jumping out of the tree and heading back to the bridge.

 **-Later that night-**

"Both did very well today." Kakashi complimented his two students on their hard day of training, the two genin both showed pride in the praise. Sakura more than Sasuke. "Sasuke finally mastered the tree climbing exercise while Sakura and I discovered her strengths and weaknesses that she needs to work on."

Naruto nodded, liking the fact that his sensei told him about his teammates training, as he ate the dinner that Tsunami had made for them. Frankly, this was one of the better meals he had eaten in his life. He had grown accustomed to stale milk and overcooked ramen, not to mention the literal bugs he was fed back on Mount Myōboku.

"Anything happen on the bridge, Naruto?"

Naruto shook his head, swallowing what food he had in his mouth. "It was quiet all day, I read my scrolls most of the day."

"Until you disappeared for three hours for 'lunch'." Tazuna scoffed.

Kakashi looked at Tazuna, making sure he wasn't lying or making an accusation, before turning back to his blonde-haired student, waiting for him to explain.

"I took a walk and lost track of time. Oh well." The blonde shrugged. "Nothing happened, and I'm pretty sure that the workers stopped complaining about a kid protecting them and actually got some work done. Besides, I left a shadow clone behind just in case anything was to happen."

Kakashi wasn't having it. "What did you really do, Naruto?"

Naruto contemplated for a moment before letting out a sigh. "I wasn't lying about taking a walk. I wanted to see if what Tazuna said was true, about the town losing all it's hope. It was worse than I thought. So, I decided to see if Gatō was as powerful as he has been made out to be."

"What did you come up with?" Sakura questioned.

"The only thing Gatō has is money. Everything he's built is for a profit."

Sasuke deadpanned. "Well, that's obvious."

"That means he's easy to be taken down. The people that he has guarding his mansion are low-life bandits that will do anything for the highest bidder. Maybe one of them can use chakra like a ninja but it wouldn't be much, a mid-level genin jutsu that I know we could handle."

Kakashi raised his one visible eyebrow. "What are you getting at, Naruto?"

"We go in during the night, full force or stealth, and take Gatō out while he sleeps. We get ahead of Zabuza and take out his reason for wanting to kill Tazuna. Or simply take the money and give it to Zabuza, stopping him from coming after us for taking away his payday."

Everyone at the table was impressed by Naruto's idea for dealing with Gatō, and Zabuza in extension, it was thought out and covered almost all angles.

"Y-You want to kill him?"

"It's not a matter of want but need. That man must die. There is no consideration for the damned Sakura."

Sakura was shocked by this. Not by her teammates words but in the tone of how he said it, the look in his eyes. If Naruto would kill he would feel no remorse, no pity.

"That's risky." Tazuna spoke. "Something could happen if all of you go together, I'm not trying to be selfish but I gotta look out for my family's safety."

"I understand fully but I wasn't thinking it'd be a team mission."

Kakashi narrowed his eye. "A solo mission?"

"You actually think you can take on an entire guard mount by yourself? And here I thought you were smart, dobe."

"For your information, _teme_ , I can take on this guard mount. I watched them for a few hours today and their patterns aren't that hard to figure out. Besides, if something were to happen, I've got my shadow clones to back me up. I can make more than enough to deal with the amount of bandits he has guarding his fence and whoever he keeps close. I'd be in and out in twenty minutes, thirty at the most."

The grey-haired jōnin rubbed the bottom of his masked chin, weighing in all the scenarios that could happen if things would go wrong. The only way Kakashi could see something going wrong was if Zabuza or that hunter ninja was there with Gatō. Even then, he had a feeling Naruto had something up his sleeve just in case there was an opponent he couldn't handle, courtesy of Jiraiya and/or the Nine Tails.

"What makes you think you can just walk in there and kill Gatō?"

Everyone turned to the entrance of the kitchen to see Inari.

"Just apart of the mission." Naruto answered.

"You'll never be strong enough to kill him. I told you that."

Naruto was tired of this freaking kid telling him that he's not strong and Gatō was unkillable, Sasuke was too. "Look _boy_ , we are ninja for a reason. Quit thinking we aren't prepared to die. It is our mission to protect your grandfather, and by extension you and your mother."

"You're all wasting your time! There's not a damn thing you can do against him!" Inari once again rushed out and sprinted up the stairs to his room.

Tsunami stood up to follow him again, but Naruto put his hand out to stop her, then stood up himself. "I'll go talk to him."

The boy's mother was hesitant to let someone she barely knew go and talk to her son about his troubles but Tazuna put a hand on her shoulder, telling her to let Naruto try to get through to him. If her father trusted him then she might as well too.

Naruto made his way up the stairs and heard the boy sobbing behind his door at the end of the hall. He listened for a moment, hearing him say "dad" in between the sobs. He sighed softly then knocked on the door.

"Go away mom." Inari sniffled.

"I'm not your mom, nor do I want to be."

The door opened and Inari poked his head through the small crack. "What do you want?"

"I understand what you're feeling."

"No, you don't! Nobody knows how it feels to lose- "

"Just shut up and listen for once you little twerp."

Inari grumbled to himself before opening his door the rest of the way, he realized Naruto wasn't going to go away. Naruto entered the room and looked on the boy's desk. There were tear stains on a ripped picture of a man. He assumed that was Kaiza, Inari's father. He turned to the boy, who was now sitting on the bed.

"I know your angry. And you have the right to be angry. Any sane person would be angry when losing their father, especially the way you lost him. I don't blame you for being angry. But you make it sound like you're the only one who has lost someone important."

Inari scoffed. "Who have you lost? I doubt you've lost someone as important as a parent."

"Well, you aren't wrong. I never knew my parents to think of them as important to me." Inari looked up in shock. "Though, I think it hurts a bit more when the one person who practically raised you leaves without a word. The only one to ever care for you just dropping you like you were nothing."

Inari noticed a change in Naruto's eyes, it wasn't anger or sadness, like he had seen in himself. It almost looked like longing, longing to have someone to care. He blinked a few times before speaking again.

"You aren't the only person to lose someone important and you never will be. Use your anger to better yourself so you don't lose another important person. Be a hero for once."

With those parting words, Naruto left the room and closed the door behind him.

 **-Midnight-**

Naruto had a hard time wrapping his head around the fact that Kakashi actually agreed to his plan to take down Gatō during the night. What surprised the blonde more was that it was only the man himself as Naruto's backup. What that meant confused Naruto. Did Kakashi trust him more than the others or did he simply want them to get plenty amount of rest? Frankly, Naruto didn't care either way. He was just glad he was finally getting to do something.

Naruto was perched on the same branch he was earlier that day, waiting for the right moment to jump over the fence and sneak his way into the mansion without being seen. He waited for another few minutes, allowing the guards to change out, before doing just that.

Once inside became a bit more challenging. He wasn't able to scout the guards movements from his position on the tree so he would have to play it by ear and have a bit of luck to find Gatō's sleeping quarters. His instincts told him that Gatō would sleep on the top floor, so that any intruder would have to go through a level or two of his hired guard mount.

Naruto's instincts were right, Gatō's room was on the top floor of his mansion. The man must be either very trusting of his guards or he simply didn't want someone watching him while he slept. Naruto didn't care either way.

Naruto choked out the lone bandit that stood guard outside Gatō's room and dragged him out of sight. He thought it was odd that there was only one guard but decided to continue on. He tried to open the door but it was locked. He should've figured that one. The blonde knelt down and began to pick the lock with a small pick and a thin rod of metal. He was just about to click the final pin in place but he felt a knife against his neck, or what he thought was a knife.

"You're impressive, Naruto. I never would've thought someone could sneak past all these guards and myself."

Naruto moved his head ever so slightly to look at his captor. "Haku. I'm not sure why but I completely over looked the fact that you might be here. Must've been that pretty face that you hide under your mask."

Naruto couldn't see it but Haku was smirking. "Not as smart as you think you are."

"Apparently not."

"Get up."

Naruto hesitated for a moment before complying the order.

Haku kept the senbon against the blonde's neck as she moved to the door. She knocked three times before it unlocked and Zabuza emerged, his massive sword already drawn. Just beyond Zabuza was the man himself, Gatō.

"It was a freaking kid that snuck past my entire guard mount!" Seeing Gatō angry made Naruto smirk in pride, which was quickly punched off his face by Gatō. "Their pay was just cut in half."

"Wow, big talk coming from a man in his boxers."

Gatō hit Naruto in his knee with his cane, bringing the blonde to his knees once more. "I do not think I won't kill you. Keep running your mouth and I will have your head sliced clean off your body."

Naruto didn't show any emotion or indication that he was even remotely scared by Gatō's threat and he knew full well Gatō wouldn't hesitate to give that order. He was a little curious why he wasn't killed on the spot, he learned long ago to never question a blessing.

"I will agree with Haku, I never imagined a genin would have the skills to sneak past a mansion of guards virtually unnoticed." Zabuza said.

"Just lucky I guess."

"No one is that lucky, you were taught. And there aren't many out there that have such good stealth techniques."

Naruto's fist began to clench.

"I don't care if he was taught or not Zabuza. He's here and needs to be dealt with."

Zabuza eyed his employer momentarily before lifting his sword off the ground and resting it on Naruto's shoulder. He rose it far above his head, posed to bring it down with grace and accuracy.

"Don't worry, you'll see your teammates by tomorrow night."

Naruto felt only a slight pinch of pain when the sword separated his head from his neck, there wasn't even a shocked expression on the blonde's, now, rolling head. There was a small moment of silence before the body and head burst into a cloud of smoke.

"Son of a bitch! It was a clone the whole time."

"And you couldn't tell the difference?!"

"That kid had mastered the _Kage Bushin no Jutsu_ , a stronger and better version. Meaning it's nearly impossible to tell a difference."

"Then what am I paying you for?! You're nothing more than an overrated butcher!"

Zabuza snapped and grabbed Gatō by his neck. The business owner gasped and pleaded for air. The former Kiri ninja could easily snap Gatō's neck, and had to resist the urge to do so, but knew if he killed Gatō then his plan to over throw the Mizukage and the Kirigakure government would die with him.

"You watch _your_ mouth, Gatō."

Zabuza dropped the smaller man to the floor and turned to walk away, Haku following.

Gatō rubbed his throat, trying to sooth the pain. 'Not only are you going to pay Zabuza, that blonde kid will too.'

 **-Hidden in the tree-**

Naruto breathed out heavily as the memories of his clone came back to him like a rushing river. He looked over to Kakashi, who was patiently waiting by reading his perverted book.

"Well, how'd it go?"

"They're coming after Tazuna tomorrow."

Kakashi nodded. "It's a good thing I was planning to have the full team on protection detail tomorrow."

Naruto nodded. "So why didn't want me to use my _Bushin Daibakuha_? (Great Clone Explosion technique)I could've taken all three of them out and we wouldn't have to worry."

Kakashi shrugged. "Call it pride."


	7. Chapter 7

A pink haired genin sat down on the finished part of the guard railing, watching a dozen men carry out different tasks. Next to her were her two teammates, each watching their own things. Sasuke watched the inside of his eyelids and Naruto rested his arms on the railing and looked out over the body of water under them. The sensei of the team kept his eye glued to his favorite book.

Tazuna directed his crew almost flawlessly, handing out directions as soon as a task was finished. It seemed the end was in sight at the rate the building crew was going. But there was still one, large, lingering problem.

"Be sure you three stay on high alert. We aren't sure when Zabuza will show up, be on your guard."

The three genin nodded and continued with what they were doing. A few moments of silence passed.

"I see your solo mission went without a problem." Sasuke scoffed.

Naruto rolled his eyes. "I thought we got past this last night."

"I could have easily done exactly what you did, probably even better."

"Of course you could have Sasuke!" Sakura squealed.

"My idea, my mission. Besides, Kakashi sensei only agreed to it was because he wanted me to send a shadow clone instead."

"It would have been stupid not to." Kakashi spoke up. "What's done is done Sasuke, let it go. Focus on the present."

Sasuke grumbled to himself before finally letting it go.

Kakashi finally looked up from his book and glanced at the sky, noticing the position of the sun. "Well, now would be as good as time as any."

"What are you talking about sensei?" Sakura questioned.

"Tsunami is making sandwiches for us and Tazuna's crew. She said they would be ready to be picked up around this time."

"I'll go." Naruto instantly volunteered. "I'm fast enough to get there and back before anything can happen."

"Actually, I was thinking to send Sakura."

"Why me?"

"Naruto's shadow clones will be vital in protecting Tazuna. Don't worry Sakura, I'm sure nothing will happen. Just don't pander around."

Sakura was a bit hesitant about this, but it was her orders and there was no room to argue with her sensei. She nodded before turning to leave the bridge. The team watched her until they couldn't see her anymore.

"She's nervous." Sasuke stated.

"Can you blame her? Sakura's never been in a situation like this. Just give her some time, she'll come around." Naruto responded.

"You've always been very protective of her. What's the deal with you two?"

Naruto didn't say anything, and clearly giving no indication that he would. But Sasuke did notice that the blonde had put his hand inside his orange and blue jacket and kept it there for a few moments, as if he was holding something.

It was then the trio caught eye of a thick mist beginning to roll into the immediate area. Naruto and Sasuke removed themselves from the railing, getting into their fighting stances. Kakashi had already lifted his headband, fully exposing his Sharingan, standing at the ready with a kunai in hand.

They moved in front of Tazuna and watched all the workers run to safety on the finished part of the bridge. Two silhouettes materialized in the mist until they became full. Zabuza and Haku emerged with weapons drawn.

"You two ready?"

Both Naruto and Sasuke nodded, then charged at full speed.

 **-With Sakura-**

Sakura wasted no time making back to the house, running as fast as she could in hopes to lessen the time she was away. She may not have been the strongest of her team but she was smart, smart enough to watch her surrounds as she headed back to Tazuna's home.

Sakura's eyes didn't catch anything out of the ordinary when she finally arrived at the home. She quickly entered and called out to Tsunami.

"Hey Tsunami! I'm here to get the- "

Sakura never got to finish her sentence because was quickly hit in the back of the neck with the hilt of a sword. Her entire world went black instantly. With her last split second of vision she saw Tsunami and Inari on their knees with their hands tied behind their backs.

"That was easier than I thought." The swordsman said.

"I figured they would have sent that dark-haired kid or the kid that broke into the mansion last night." The other bandit added.

"The mom and the kid are the ones Gatō wanted, this girl is just added leverage."

Tsunami and Inari watched helplessly as the swordsman bandit picked up Sakura and threw her in front of them. Tsunami feared the worst when the man drew his sword.

Inari feared for his life, something he had never felt before. He wasn't sure how but he was able to wiggle his hands free from the rope. He headbutted the swordsman on the groin and bolted out the door.

"Damn it! You were supposed tie them up!" The swordsman groaned, holding his hands over his crotch.

"I did! The little bastard must've broke free somehow. It's not like it matters though, the mother and this girl will be perfect."

 **-With Kakashi-**

Kakashi blocked the downward swing of Zabuza's sword with his kunai, he parried the swing and countered. Zabuza barely dodged, receiving a small cut in his side. The swordsman jumped back while going through a series of hand signs, Kakashi went through the same signs.

" _Suiton: Suiryuudan no Jutsu!"_ (Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu)

Two giant dragons created themselves out of the water from below the unfinished bridge sky rocketing up and smashing into each other, causing water the cover the bridge.

"You freaking copy cat!"

"Well, that is my name."

Zabuza growled, then noticed the water that was splattered all over the bridge. He chuckled to himself. "Your students are good as dead."

Kakashi narrowed his eyes. "What are you getting at?"

"This entire bridge is covered in water, Haku is unbeatable now."

Kakashi raised his eyebrow in confusion, turning to look over his shoulder at his students battle.

 **-With Naruto and Sasuke-**

Naruto and Sasuke were doing well against Haku, their teamwork was proving to be too much for the masked ninja to handle. Haku may have the speed advantage, being able to dodge some of the attacks, but Naruto and Sasuke had the numbers. It was two against one. Speed could only get someone so far.

Naruto went into a slide while Sasuke jumped into the air, in hopes to catch the ninja off guard while she was airborne. It seemed her reflexes were just as good as her speed, Haku was able to maneuver her body to dodge Sasuke's attack.

"This turned out better than I wanted."

The two refocused their attention on the girl.

"Do you really think you can beat both of us together? Honestly, I'm not even sure you could beat one of us by yourself?" Sasuke glared at the masked girl, looking for any indication of an attack.

"Normally, I'd agree with you. But there is just so much water around you and both my hands are free to use my greatest jutsu." Haku began to go through hand seals at such a fast rate that even Kakashi's Sharingan was having a hard time keeping up with them.

Both Sasuke and Naruto's eyes widened drastically as the water around them began to rise. They suddenly formed into large, floating mirrors that were made of ice.

" _Maky_ _ō_ _Hy_ _ō_ _sh_ _ō_ _."_ (Ice Style: Crystal Ice Mirrors)

Before either Naruto and Sasuke could react, they were trapped in a dome of crystal ice. Haku stepped into one of the mirrors and her image was projected onto each mirror. By Sasuke's count, there was twenty-one reflections of Haku. Twelve on ground level and eight more floating above, angling at the ground.

Kakashi stared in utter disbelief. 'What in the world is that technique?'

The jōnin wanted to go help his genin but he knew Zabuza would simply get in the way. Naruto and Sasuke were on their own.

The two genin kept their composure but were racking their brains on how to get out of this dire situation. Sasuke was lost, he couldn't remember the last time he felt this lost. Naruto had a similar feeling. They needed to act fast if they wanted to make it out alive.

"It's time I show you my real speed."

Just as the words left the girl's mouth, a barrage of hundreds of senbons that seemed to come from every direction. Both Naruto and Sasuke reacted accordingly and dodged what they could but they could only move so fast. Both were impaled by a couple dozen senbon and caused blood to fall from their wounds.

Naruto pulled the senbon that was restricting his neck movement and looked over his teammate. He wasn't fairing much better but he was still standing. Actually, Sasuke was just staring into a mirror. All Naruto could hear was a soft chuckle from the Uchiha.

"I can see…"

Sasuke's head shot towards a specific mirror, a smirk now present on his face. Naruto couldn't could back a small chuckle of his own. He honestly didn't expect it happen so soon, but he was glad none the less. Sasuke Uchiha had just awakened the Sharingan.

Sasuke kept his eyes trained on the same mirror, waiting for the perfect moment.

Haku was shocked. She should've realized that the boy was an Uchiha, that red and white fan on his back was a clear giveaway. And she knew the Sharingan was bad for her. Her jutsu required a lot of chakra to create, even more to maintain. It was only a matter of time before her speed would slow down enough to where the Uchiha would be able to read and fully predict her movements.

Haku sent another wave of senbon at the two. Naruto had the ability to dodge some but was still hit by most. Sasuke was able to dodge most but was still hit by some. The blonde limped before he fell to his knee. Senbons had hit a ligament in his left knee, it was practically useless at the moment. Sasuke remained standing but Naruto could tell he was having trouble.

Naruto remembered a scroll he read about the Sharingan. The dōjutsu was awakened by only two things, extreme stress or extreme emotion. Sasuke may have been angry but nowhere near enough to awaken his eyes, but if it were then his Sharingan would be much more powerful. Emotion is a catalyst for the legendary dōjutsu, stress simply was a starter.

Naruto pulled the needle out from his knee. "This isn't good."

"Just one more."

"What?"

"One more wave and I'll have her. Can you survive one more?"

Naruto let out a sigh. Him surviving another wave of senbon wasn't a concern, his healing factor was going to kick in at any moment. Sasuke was breathing heavily and couldn't hold the Sharingan for much longer. Naruto could see that much. The blonde nodded.

Sasuke nodded back. Then turned his attention back to the mirror Haku was currently in. "Is that all you got?!"

Haku launched a third wave of senbon and couldn't believe what she saw. Sasuke had completely dodged every single senbon she had thrown. And now his blood red eyes were trained on her, the real her. Most of her chakra had been drained, she couldn't keep the jutsu alive much longer nor her speed.

Sasuke smiled wickedly as he went through a series of hand seals.

" _Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_ (Fire Style: Fireball Jutsu)

Fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth and set the mirrors ablaze, slowly melting away at the ice. But the ice mirrors weren't melting easy. That showed just how much chakra it took to hold a jutsu like this. But they were weakened.

Sasuke collapsed to his knees, his Sharingan fading from his eyes. "That was all I had left." He gasped out.

Naruto stumbled to his feet. Senbons were falling out of his body as steam came from his wounds as they closed. "Don't worry Sasuke, I'll handle it from here."

Sasuke watched in shock as the senbons fell to the floor, completely flabbergasted that they were falling out on their own. He couldn't see the steam that healed his wounds because it was mixing in with the steam from the melting ice mirrors.

'How is he doing that?'

"You talk about speed, but you don't know what that is. Let me show you _my_ speed."

Naruto cracked his knuckles, staring at the image of Haku in front of him. He could tell it was the real one, there was a burn mark on her left shoulder that none of the others had. He put his hands together and held a seal.

"Release!"

Suddenly, Naruto seemed to stand an inch taller than normal, like a massive weight was instantly lifted from his body. He pulled off a pair of white beaded bracelets from his wrists, that were hidden by his sleeves, and placed them in his pocket. Earning more confusion from both people near him.

"What were those beads?"

"A special kind of chakra weight. The more you train with them the heavier they get. Now that I've taken them off, you won't win this fight."

It was too quick to see, too quick to process the instant flash of blonde yellow hair that flew past her, smashing the ice mirror next to her, and skidding to a stop half way down the bridge. Naruto, himself, was surprised.

'I guess it's been some time since I've dropped the weights. Maybe I'll keep them off for a while.'

Naruto dashed again and punched through the mirror Haku was in, shattering it. He stopped next to Sasuke and realized Haku had moved to a different mirror. He scanned the remaining mirrors, looking for the burnt shoulder of the real one.

"Behind you Naruto!"

Naruto threw his elbow back and caught Haku in the center of her mask, cracking and breaking it. He put all his strength into that attack and it shot Haku back through another mirror and towards the center of the bridge, near Kakashi and Zabuza's fight.

Haku recovered from her tumble slowly, knowing Naruto was already charging towards her.

"I'm sorry Zabuza, but I cannot beat this boy."

Zabuza scoffed as he pushed back Kakashi. "Then let him kill you. You were a tool, nothing more Just a waste of time."

A lone tear streaked down the girl's cheek as she closed her eye, awaiting the final blow. But it never came. She opened her eyes again to see Naruto had stopped his kunai a mere inch from the bridge of her nose.

Confusion filled the hunter ninja, why wasn't she dead yet? This was the perfect opportunity to win the battle. Why would he stop? Then she heard the blonde mumbling to himself.

"Waste of time…That's all I was to you…"

Naruto rose his head up and Haku gasped in fear. The boy's eyes had changed from deep blue to blood red, his pupils had become vertical and silted. And his whisker marks were widening and darkening. Haku shakily stepped back in terror.

Both Kakashi and Zabuza felt the massive spike in chakra. Zabuza had never felt anything like this, it was unlike anything he had known. But for Kakashi it brought back the memories of that night twelve years ago, the night his master died and Naruto was born. His face paled as he began to sweat nervously.

'I have to end this now!'

Kakashi flashed a series of hand seals and placed his hand in front of him with his palm facing the ground as he left arm held it in place. Lightning began to arch from his hand, cracking and chirping like one thousand birds were near. Holding the ball of lightning in the palm of his right hand, he reached with his left and unbuttoned one his scroll pockets on the chest of his. He threw the scroll up and swiped his bloody thumb across the paper. He caught the scroll, which had rolled itself back up, and held a hand seal.

"Zabuza, we no longer have time to play hide-and-seek."

"Hm. Sounds interesting." Zabuza said from his position in the mist. "But whatever is happening with your student sounds just as fun."

Kakashi slammed his hand to the ground.

" _Kuchiyose: Doton: Tsuiga no Jutsu!"_ (Summoning: Earth Style: Fanged Pursuit Jutsu)

Zabuza, hidden by his mist, chuckled in a amusement. "Do whatever, Kakashi. It's useless against my mist!"

Kakashi said nothing as he let his jutsu do its job, he waited patiently with lightning jutsu was still active in his right hand. He waited until the signal that his jutsu had found Zabuza. The sickening sound of flesh being bitten into.

"Ah!" Zabuza screamed.

Kakashi bolted towards the sound, leaving only scorch marks on the ground where he once stood. He zipped through the mist, dispersing it with his speed. He sprinted up to Zabuza, the swordsman was trapped by nine ninja hounds.

" _Raikiri!"_ (Lightning Blade)

Zabuza watched helplessly as Kakashi charged towards him. His mind was going through past memories and he was shocked to see his 'tool' pass as well. It made too much sense for it end like this, it was his karma for treating the girl like a tool, a weapon for his gain only.

The pain of lightning wasn't what Zabuza expected it. It didn't burn. He really didn't feel the ball of compressed electricity rip through his heart. It passed like a flash of lightning. There was a bright flash, a arc of blue lightning being seen only for a spilt second, then darkness.

Kakashi didn't have time to dwell on his kill of the legendary swordsman, he had a bigger beast to deal with. He pulled his, now, bloodied hand from Zabuza's lifeless chest and sprinted towards the malicious chakra. The mist disappeared with Zabuza's life, the grey-haired jōnin was finally able to see clear.

Naruto had Haku by the neck, ever slowly increasing the strength of his grip around her throat. The poor girl was gasping for breath, struggling to break free. Kakashi quickly appeared behind Naruto and wrapped his arm around the boy's neck.

"Calm down Naruto! You need to snap out of this!"

Kakashi figured reason wouldn't work. Naruto was being influenced by, possibly, the strongest being in the entire world at the moment. He racked his brain for something to calm him down. Nothing came to mind except for brute force and the Sharingan.

Kakashi groaned as he flipped himself over Naruto and planted a strong kick to the enraged boy's face. The attack broke Naruto's hold on Haku and pushed him back. Kakashi dashed up to the boy and gripped the sides of his head, forcing him to look deep into his three tomoed Sharingan eye.

There was a deep growl that echoed inside Naruto's throat before he collapsed onto the ground, his breathing heavy and rasped. Sweat dripped from his brow, barely being able to hold himself up with his arms.

"W-What happened?"

"Your seal is weakening Naruto, the Kyuubi's chakra is starting to leak out."

"Leak out?"

"Kyuubi is leaking it's chakra through the seal to weaken it, trying to escape from it. You need to watch that leakage, the more that leaks out the weaker the seal becomes."

Naruto let that comment sink into his brain. That didn't make sense to the blond. If the Kyuubi was wanting to break free, why would he have hold him everything he did that day? And why help him train when he asked for it? Something wasn't right.

"Glad to see you're still in one-piece Sasuke."

The black haired Uchiha stumbled next to his teammate. "Where's Zabuza?"

"I took care of him. He's dead."

Both Naruto and Sasuke nodded.

"And the masked ninja?"

Kakashi turned his head back, watching the girl crawl to the dead body of her recently killed master. She held the body in her arms as she wept.

"I don't think we have to worry about her anymore."

Naruto looked at the sight and thought about their conversation from the other day. 'So that precious someone was Zabuza. But what will you do now that he's gone? Where will you go?'

"You two did well, much better than I could have ever hoped. You protected Tazuna while fighting off a strong opponent." Kakashi lowered his headband and covered his Sharingan. "You can come out of your hiding spot Tazuna."

The bridge builder emerged from his place behind a large box of supplies. He made his way over to the team. "You guys are something else. I've never seen anything like what you three did."

"Just doing what we had to." Naruto said, making it to his feet. He looked around to see that Sakura still hadn't come back. "Sakura still isn't back yet."

"She can't be that slow, can she?"

"Easy Sasuke. I'm sure there's a reason she isn't back."

Sasuke nodded but Naruto didn't like this. Sakura wasn't one to take long, she was always one to get her job done as quick as possible. And, yes, she wasn't the fastest but she wasn't, by far, the slowest.

"I don't think I've ever been so happy to see a dead body."

The group turned their attention towards the voice. It was a short, fat man, who had spoke, with roughly thirty armed men behind him.

"Gatō?"

"You seemed surprised to see me. What? Did you really think I was going to honor our agreement and pay you for killing a damn bridge builder?"

Haku clenched her fist, her anger growing.

"I do have to admit though, that attack last night did force my hand." Gatō snapped his fingers and some of his men brought something from the back. It was Tsunami and Sakura, bound and cut up. "You can blame this on yourself, blondie."

"No!" Tazuna screamed. He tried to run to his daughter but Kakashi held him back.

"Dad! Help!"

"Sasuke!"

Kakashi was tapped, he didn't have the chakra to deal with this many men. Sasuke was drained too, it seemed awakening the Sharingan took a lot out of him. And Naruto was still reeling from the Kyuubi chakra burst. It seemed that using the beast's chakra wasn't as beneficial as Kakashi first thought.

Naruto was wide eyed, he couldn't take his eyes off his pink-haired teammate. She was beaten. Cuts covered her body and a bruise was left on her cheek. And the way her clothes, and Tsunami's as well, were torn, it suggested the fact that she had been…

"…What did you do to them?"

One of Gatō's henchmen roughly grabbed the hair of Tsunami, jerking her head up. The poor woman yelped in pain. "Nothing really. We just had a bit of 'fun' with them."

Something deep inside of Naruto opened wide, that pull from the other day was back. This time, however, it was much stronger, so much so that the boy didn't resist the pull. He just fell into it and gave into the power, the darkness.

A burst of demonic, red chakra flared around Naruto, making his jacket and hair billow upwards as if they were in a gust of strong wind. His nails grew into claws, his whisker birth marks darkened and widened, his hair became untamed, and his incisor teeth grew into sharp points.

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Tazuna had to shield themselves because the heat that radiated off Naruto. The large group of men all felt the anger that the chakra held and it scared them. Gatō didn't fair much better than his henchmen.

"W-What the hell is that?!"

"You're dead!"

Naruto sprinted towards the group on all fours, like a predator chasing it's kill. He jumped into the air when he got close, he came down with his arm cocked back and ready to strike. His claw like fingernails slashed across a man's chest. The feral Naruto grabbed the sword that the man dropped and cut through a few more men before bringing Sakura and Tsunami to safety by Kakashi and Sasuke.

Gatō stumbled back in terror. "W-What are you guys waiting for?! Kill that thing!"

The thugs were hesitant but charged anyway, screaming loudly.

Naruto growled and lowered himself, preparing to strike. He slowly crept forward but stopped when scent caught his nose. Another large of group of people came up from behind Gatō and his men. It was the villagers of the town.

"We're tired of hiding! We're going to take our country back!"

"Inari!" Tsunami cried out.

The young boy so full of determination as he stood in front of the large group of people with a small crossbow. He looked like the leader of this small 'militia'.

Inari fired an arrow and it hit Gatō in the back of his knee. The small, fat man fell to the ground, clutching at his wound.

The still feral Naruto took advantage of the distraction and charged into the henchmen once more. The towns people ran at them from their rear. Gatō watched helplessly as his men was slaughtered by the people he had been oppressing and some animal.

"Are you guys okay?"

Tsunami and Tazuna wrapped their arms around Inari. "Yes sweetie, we're okay."

Sakura rubbed her wrists after Sasuke cut her loose from her ropes. "I'm glad you're okay, Sasuke. And you too Kakashi sensei."

Sasuke nodded and looked at his teacher. "What was all that with Naruto? I've never seen something like that."

"Is that Naruto? I've never felt anything so dark…" Sakura shuttered.

Kakashi wasn't sure what to say to his students. They had the right to know that their teammate was the jinchuriki but it wasn't Kakashi's right to tell them. It was Naruto's burden to carry. Kakashi watched the boy carefully. Naruto stood in the middle of the carnage of fallen henchmen, he was breathing heavily as his features returned to normal.

"Look, you two, Naruto is a very special case. He has a lot riding on him."

"What are you talking about sensei?"

Kakashi bit his tongue. He had said too much.

Unknowing to any of the three, Naruto was able to hear the entire conversation. Sometimes he hated his hearing abilities.

Gatō was slowly crawling away while everyone was distracted with celebrating in their victory. He almost made it off the bridge but was stopped when Haku stepped in front of his path.

"P-Please Haku, I-I still pay ya for what you've done. J-Just don't kill- "

The man wasn't able to finish his plea, Haku threw a senbon into Gatō's skull before he could. The hunter ninja stared at the body for a few moments before turning back to Zabuza's body. She stopped when Naruto appeared in front of her. Instinctively, Haku reached for a weapon.

"Relax, the fighting is done. Besides, since he's dead, I doubt you'd have a reason to fight anymore."

"It wouldn't have mattered if Gatō was dead or not, Zabuza was my only reason to fight."

Naruto nodded. "What will you do now?"

"I'm not sure. Zabuza was the only one to really give me any direction. Maybe I'll be a real hunter ninja, that's all I've ever really known."

Naruto nodded again. He thought about offering a place in Konoha but he figured that Haku wasn't going to like being in the same village with the man who killed the only person she cared about. "If you ever need help, come find me."

Haku raised her eyebrow at the blonde's words. "Why would I call on you for help?"

"Because I know what it's like to feel alone in this world. It's unbearable. I know what it's like to lose a precious person, it's a wound that does not close easy and is very easy to reopen."

"Why are you telling me all this? What's your point?"

Naruto looked over his shoulder, back at his team. Sakura was being a fangirl over Sasuke, who was standing there with his hands in his pocket, and Kakashi was already buried in his book, but Naruto knew he had his attention what him and Haku were talking about.

Naruto turned back to the hunter ninja. "It'll hurt for a while, a long while. In fact, that pain really doesn't go away. You get numb to it honestly. Find someone that helps the pain, they help keep that wound closed for good."

"Is that why you lost it earlier? Because that girl was tied up and beaten? Is she your precious person?"

Naruto turned and walked to his team. "I'll be seeing you, Haku." He put his hand in the air and gave a lazy wave to the hunter ninja.

Naruto walked up to his team with his hands in his pockets.

"Are you okay Sakura?"

"Uh, Y-Yeah. I'm okay, Naruto."

"You sure? They didn't do anything to you, did they?"

Sakura shook her head. "No. Just hit me a couple of times, that's all."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. "Good, that's really good to hear."

Kakashi looked up from his book. "And what of your little talk with Zabuza's apprentice?"

"Her name is Haku, by the way, and she's not a problem anymore."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow. "And what do you mean by that?"

"I mean the girl just lost the one thing she ever cared about, she's grieving."

"You sound like you care." Sakura pointed out.

"I know what she's going through. I offered her a piece of advice. Nothing more."

Both Sasuke and Sakura nodded in understanding, both deciding now was not the best time to discuss anything with the blonde right now. There is always a time and place for everything.

"Well, I'd say this mission is complete! Let's head home."


	8. Chapter 8

It was close to midnight by the time Jiraiya decided to set up camp, he had been traveling for most of the day and was ready to stop for the night. He used a simple fire jutsu to get a flame going to keep himself warm for the night.

Jiraiya breathed a long sigh of relief. He turned his head to glance over his shoulder.

"You have anything for me?"

The faint sound of approaching footsteps could be heard from behind a tree. "Iwagakure are nearing Konoha's strength, another year and they will have similar numbers."

Jiraiya slowly nodded and rubbed his chin. "How much longer until your search starts?"

"Our organization has been actively searching for the past six months now, mostly scouting where and how to find them. My guess is that the jinchuriki of Kumogakure is the safest out of the nine, considering the Raikage is his brother and won't let the Hachibi out of his sight. If I'm not mistaken, he hasn't set foot out of Kumogakure since the end of the Third Great Shinobi War."

"I wish I could say the same about Naruto. The Old man has been very loose with him lately. His team was given a C-Rank escort mission that should have been an A-Rank."

"I'm aware. I kept my eyes on it from a distance."

The Sannin let out a snort. "To what end? Protection or scouting?"

The person hidden by darkness said nothing.

"I appreciate your care for him, I really do. Your mother would be proud."

A slight shift of feet told Jiraiya that he poked at a very sensitive subject for the man. Silence over took the pair of men as the fire cracked in the night.

"My gut is telling me that you still have something I should know."

"The Akatsuki are starting the hunt with the Kyuubi, _he_ wants to use the fox as a means to gather the rest."

The Toad Sannin took the information in and nodded slowly again. "How long until you come for him?"

"Two months. Our treasury needs a few more bounties before we give our full efforts into the hunt."

Jiraiya let his silence speak for him. A few minutes passed before he heard the ruffling of twigs and leaves, telling him that the man had left. The white-haired man stared into the flames.

"I guess it's time to come home."

 **-The Hokage's Office-**

"And that's all that happened Lord Hokage."

Kakashi had just finished giving his oral report to the Sandaime. It was just him and the elderly man, the rest of Team 7 had been sent home the second they passed through the gate.

"That's some story Kakashi. I believe an apology is in order. I should've have looked into Tazuna's mission request more. I wouldn't have given your team the mission if I had known Gatō was behind it all."

Kakashi waved his hand. "There is no need to be sorry, Lord Hokage. My team exceeded beyond measure. I don't say this often but I'm proud of how they handled themselves against Zabuza."

"I couldn't agree more with you, Kakashi. I can say that Team 7 will be leading the way of the next generation with ease, that is if they stay on this path."

Kakashi chuckled and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I'll do what I can."

Sarutobi nodded. "Before I dismiss you Kakashi, I want to know how Naruto did on the mission."

"All of Naruto's feats and accomplishments were there in my report, my Lord. My written report will be even more detailed than what I just told you."

"I know. And looking forward to reading all about Team 7's success. Just tell me about the bridge and Naruto's outburst with the Kyuubi's chakra."

Kakashi let out a sigh. "I see. Well, I think he had some control over his actions when the chakra leaked out at first. It seems even the mere mention of Jiraiya, or something that reminds him of Jiraiya, can set him off."

Hiruzen let out a long smoke cloud from his pipe. "I could've never imagined Naruto harboring so much hate for Jiraiya."

"I don't think it's hate. I think its resentment, a pain if you will. I don't think he was never given a real direct answer why Lord Jiraiya just up and left, I think the boy just needs some closure."

The Sandaime rubbed his goatee. "I told him that Jiraiya needed to take a mission. Jiraiya felt couldn't wait for Naruto to wake from the assault. He made his choice."

Kakashi narrowed his one visible eye. "I'm sure _he_ did."

Sarutobi let out a heavy sigh. "If there is something you want you say, Kakashi, say it."

"What's your plan with Naruto? As his sensei, I have a right know if there is something going on."

The Third Hokage remained silent. This only confirmed Kakashi's hunch. He leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk, resting his weight on them.

"I'm not stupid, Lord Hokage. I know how Lord Jiraiya works and how he runs his spy network. It doesn't take six years to find someone, especially someone who has the skill set to kill an entire team of ANBU. And, speaking of which, I don't remember hearing about the death of that team or any death of a team for that matter. And I would have, considering I _was_ ANBU at the time."

Kakashi backed away from the desk and turned for the door and opened it when he got close. He stopped and turned his head back.

"The Chunin Exams are just around the corner, right? You'll be seeing Team Seven's applications for the exam, along with my mission report, by the end of the day."

The door was slammed shut, leaving Hiruzen Sarutobi alone with his thoughts.

 **-A few days later-**

Naruto was making his way to Team Seven's usual meeting area on a small red bridge over a pond. The very same bridge he hid under when he first came to the village six years ago. He shook his head free of that memory, not wanting to relive the past. He was surprised to see that Sakura had beaten him there, he was normally the first one to arrive.

"Hey Naruto." Sakura cheerfully greeted with a wave.

Naruto gave a small wave himself. He was going to greet her back but he noticed something about the pink-haired girl. She was a bit scuffed, somewhat dirty, and looked rather sore. "Have you been training, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Ever since we got back, I've been working on what Kakashi sensei went over with me back in the Land of Waves. I know it's only been a few days but I feel like I've been making progress."

Naruto was pleased to hear that, it was about time Sakura had taken the title of ninja seriously. He was about to say that but the kunoichi saw her heart throb approaching them and quickly ran to him, exploding with her news of training. A soft, painfilled smirk graced his lips.

"I'm glad to see you all made it." Kakashi said, joining his team.

"And you're one time for once, whatever you want to tell us must be important." Naruto quipped.

"Right you are Naruto. It is important. The Chunin Exams are coming up and I've put in applications for all three of you."

The jōnin could see the excitement building on, both, Naruto and Sasuke's faces, while Sakura looked a bit confused.

"The Chunin Exams? What are those?"

"In order for shinobi to move up in rank, they have a test to see who is qualified to take on missions for that rank. It's the same for becoming a jōnin, but you have to be selected for that exam." Kakashi explained.

The pinkette nodded in understanding. "So how are the Chunin Exams done?"

"Well, I'm not sure how other villages conduct it when they host but, Konoha has three stages. Teams are nominated by their sensei and have to completed a certain amount of missions to qualify. The exams are held every six months, changing villages each time."

"Why do the exams change villages? Doesn't each village host their own?" Sasuke questioned.

"The exams are hosted in different villages bi-annually to show a peace between the Five Great Nations. It used to be where every village conducted their own exams but after the Third Great Shinobi War the Kages thought it would be best to make a showing out of it. A way to improve relations, economies, and help present up-and-coming ninja to possible clients."

Sakura nodded in understanding again. Then a hint of worry hit her. "So, there will be teams from other villages?"

"Yes. Quite a few actually. This year will have the biggest amount of genin teams in the last ten years."

That didn't calm the girl's worry. "We'll probably be the least experienced team there."

"Just because they have experience doesn't mean they're stronger than us." Sasuke pointed out.

"But that can also mean they have more battle knowledge and can be deadlier in a fight, just because someone isn't strong doesn't immediately mean they haven't seen more than you. Always assume the person you are fighting is stronger and has more experience." Kakashi stated.

Neither Naruto or Sasuke were deterred by what Kakashi was saying, he wasn't trying to scare them but it didn't matter to them regardless. The two knew they were ready and wanted to move forward with this. Their only worry was the lone kunoichi of the team. She may have been training on her own time now but her confidence was another story.

"Maybe we should wait until the next exam…"

Sasuke glared at Sakura while Naruto kept his disappointment hidden with a monotone expression.

"Sakura, I wouldn't have nominated you three if I didn't think you weren't ready. This is simply another mission, I know you three will do well." The jōnin reassured with an eye smile.

Sakura looked at her sensei then at her teammates, they nodded to let her know they would have her back no matter what. She let out a sigh, then looked back at Kakashi and smiled. "Okay sensei, I'm in!"

"Excellent! The first stage starts at the beginning of next week. Use this time to put the finishing touches on any training you've been doing and get, at least, a full day's rest. I'll give you the rest of the info when I receive it. Later!"

The team watched their sensei disappear into a puff of smoke and vanish from sight.

Sasuke was the first to turn and leave, both him and Naruto expected Sakura to follow him like a lost puppy but she stayed. Not that either boys were going to say anything, both just thought it was noteworthy.

"Um, Naruto?"

The blonde turned to his pink-haired teammate. "What's up Sakura?"

Naruto instantly noticed that Sakura seemed nervous. She was twiddling with her fingers and she was staring at the ground, as if she was trying to work up the courage to ask something.

"Y-You said you know some basic medical jutsu, right?"

"Yeah…?"

"Do you t-think you could s-show me how to do them?"

Naruto let loose a smile that the girl had never seen come from him before, honestly if the girl wasn't so nervous she would've been entranced by it.

"Of course, I will! I'd be more than happy to teach you Sakura!"

Sakura couldn't hide the faint redness of her cheeks as she returned his smile.

"C'mon, let's go start!"

The blonde led the way as the two walked down a back alley, a shortcut to the training field the boy figured out a long time ago.

"Hey! Watch it you little runt!"

Naruto raised an eyebrow as he turned the corner to see five people. Three looked like they might be old enough to have just started in the academy. There was one girl, with orange hair that stood up on both sides and were tied at the tops. The second was a sickly-looking boy that had short brown hair, who seemed to have a constant running nose. The third and final kid was another boy with short, spikey brown hair and an overly large blue scarf that looked like a blanket around his neck.

The poor kid was being held off the ground by his shirt.

The guy, and the girl next to him, holding the kid seemed to be around him and Sakura's age, him and the girl were both from Sunagakure. The girl had dirty blonde hair that was pulled back into four pigtails, which all pointed into different directions. The guy had purple lined face paint, along with a plain black full body suit with a yellow and red circle on the chest.

But that wasn't the only thing that caught Naruto's attention, both were carrying something on their backs. The girl seemed to have a long black rectangle attached to her back, the blonde had no idea what that could possibly be. The boy had something hung over his shoulder that was wrapped in bandages and hair sticking out the top.

Naruto's eyes widened when the realization hit him.

'That's a puppet! I remember reading that Suna was known for it's mastery in the puppet arts. I've always wanted to see a puppet user fight.'

"Kankurō just put the kid down! It was an accident! Stop before _he_ gets mad."

Kankurō simply shrugged off the girl's remark. "Don't worry Temari, I'm just messing around."

"Let Konohamaru go. Now."

The two Suna shinobi seemed to be surprised by Naruto and Sakura's sudden appearance.

"Who the hell are you guys? And where did you come from?"

"Big Bro Naruto! Help!"

"I said drop him." Naruto's voice was menacing, there was no room for argument.

Kankurō eyed the blonde Konoha shinobi before dropping the kid like a sack of potatoes. Konohamaru and his two friends scurried over to Naruto and stood behind him, clutching to his pants. Kankurō simply scoffed at the notion and took the bandaged package off his back and set it down next to him, holding it up by the hair that stuck out.

"Are you really going to use Karasu?" Temari asked shockingly.

Naruto moved into a battle stance.

"Stop it Kankurō, you are a disgrace to our family and village."

There was another Suna shinobi, but he was standing upside down on the tree branch above them. He had red hair and strangely had the kanji for 'love' tattooed on the left side of his forehead. He also had a large gourd strapped to his back, Naruto hoped it wasn't filled with something dangerous.

Kankuro's attitude completely changed in mere seconds. He was utterly terrified by this person, as was Temari.

"I was j-just playing around Gaara!"

"Shut up before I kill you."

Naruto's eyes widened as the boy spoke with no emotion in his voice. This boy was dead serious and everyone knew it.

"You three must be here for the Chunin Exams."

Everyone was shocked to hear another new voice. Standing on the same branch as Gaara, only upright, was the third member of Team 7, Sasuke Uchiha. Gaara looked at the Uchiha with the same amount of emotion as his tone of voice, none. The red head with black circles around his eyes simply walked around the branch and stood eye to eye with Sasuke.

"What's your name?"

Sasuke smirked, not being fazed by the lack of emotion. "Sasuke Uchiha. I would like to know yours as well."

"Gaara of the Desert."

A swirl of sand appeared around Gaara and he disappeared, only to reappear next to his siblings. He stood to full height and met Naruto's eyes.

When the two locked gazes, something happened deep within them both. While Gaara smiled like a psychopath, Naruto felt the Kyuubi shift in his cage.

" **Shukaku…it's been a long time."**

"Mother is excited like nothing I've ever felt. I must know your name!"

Everyone, minus Naruto, suddenly felt a dark chill run down their spines when Gaara spoke this time. There was something in his voice this time, everyone could feel the killer intent behind every word.

"Naruto Uzumaki."

"Mother can't wait to see you again! She thirsts for your blood!"

Without another word, the trio of Suna genin turned and left the Konoha shinobi. Sakura finally let the unconscious breath she was holding while Sasuke finally shook his head free from his trance.

Naruto looked over his shoulder to the three academy students. "You guys okay, Konohamaru?"

The poor kids were still too scared to let their death grip on Naruto's pants go, and rightfully so. "W-Who was that guy, boss?"

Naruto shook his head. "No idea. But he certainly is…interesting."

Sasuke landed gracefully in front of his teammates and the three students. "That guy…his killer intent was on par with Zabuza's."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, he's definitely terrifying. If he's in the Chunin Exams I can't imagine who else could be in too."

"I think it's safe to say that not everyone we run into is a natural born killer."

While not meant to be taken as a joke, both Sasuke and Sakura found some humor in the statement and made the air a bit lighter around them. The blonde turned and knelt to Konohamaru's level.

"Go find Iruka sensei and tell him what happened, okay? He'll decide if this should be reported to Ojiisan or not."

"Okay, big bro." The young boy nodded and took off towards the Ninja Academy, with his two friends in tow.

"You two seem to be close since he calls you his big brother." Sasuke pointed out.

Naruto shrugged and placed his hands in his pockets. "Konohamaru is an only child and the lone grandchild of the Third. I ran into him one day when I was leaving Ojiisan's office after I got a new set of scrolls to study from. He followed me back to the training grounds and demanded that I train him since Ojiisan watched over my training. I think he was just jealous I got his grandpa's attention."

Sakura smiled warmly. "I think it's sweet that he thinks of you as he brother."

Naruto shrugged again. "I've barely seen him and I haven't taught him anything. But it doesn't bother me."

"So that's how you got so strong, the Sandaime trained you." Sasuke said.

The blonde shook his head. "Not really. He was too busy to physically be there and watch. He just gave me the scrolls and he made me promise I'd tell him about it. I think I visited him once a week, maybe more."

"What about recently?" Sakura asked.

"Haven't talked to him much, our missions have taken priority. He told me that when I graduated from the academy that I wouldn't need to report to him anymore. I would actually have a teacher to oversee my training."

Both Sakura and Sasuke nodded in understanding.

"Well, let's go Naruto. I still want to learn those medical techniques you know."

Naruto nodded and followed the pinkette. Sasuke raised his eyebrow.

"You two are training together?"

"I asked Naruto to teach me those basic medical jutsus he knew. Kakashi sensei told me that my level of chakra control would be perfect for the medical field."

Sasuke nodded in understanding. "Well, don't let me stop you. I'll be doing my own training until the exam starts." The black haired Uchiha waved as he walked away from the pair.

 **-At the training, a few hours later-**

Naruto waited patiently as Sakura thoroughly studied the medical scrolls the Third Hokage had given him. If the blonde was completely honest, the only reason he accepted the medical scrolls in the first place was to have the knowledge and not really to learn the techniques. He had the healing factor of the Kyuubi so he really didn't need the jutsus, he simply learned them out of boredom.

But that's not what Naruto was currently thinking about.

'Finally breaking your silence after all this time?'

There was a deep growl inside Naruto's mind. **"There hasn't been a reason for me to speak until today."**

'Must be important then.'

" **Yes."**

'Well, what is it? You weren't the only one who felt something when I looked at him.'

" **You and that desert boy are more alike than you think."**

Naruto mentally raised his eyebrow. 'What are you talking about?'

" **He's just like you, a jinchuriki."**

The blonde was at a loss for words, he honestly had no idea what to think. For what felt like the first time in his life, Naruto was completely lost on where to go or what to say.

" **We will discuss this matter later, that girl needs your help."**

Naruto snapped himself out of his deep subconscious and looked at Sakura. She was standing in front of him with a curious look on her face.

"Naruto? You there?"

"Y-Yeah. Sorry about that, I just zoned out. What's up?"

"I'm having trouble understanding this part of the scroll, the part about the using medical ninjutsu as an offense."

Naruto nodded and followed Sakura back to the scroll she left under the tree. The two sat down next to each other, far enough apart to give each other space but close enough for Naruto to read the scroll easily.

"What are you having trouble understanding about using medical jutsu as an offense?"

"It's not that I don't understand the concept, what confuses me is the ability to weaponize medical ninjutsu."

Naruto thought about his answer, using the knowledge he learned from the scrolls he read and what he was taught by _her_. "Well, it's obvious that using medical ninjutsu requires advanced chakra control, something you already have. I'm not an expert on medical ninjutsu, probably never will be, but my guess would be to use it in reverse, in a way."

"How so?"

"Like disabling the central nervous system by sending a controlled shock through the system."

Sakura's eyes widened. "You can shock someone with medical ninjutsu?"

"If you're advanced enough, yes. When someone's heart stops, you can give it a jolt to restart it. It won't always work and can cause more damage if done multiple times, but it can revive a person. The concept is the same when you apply a shock to the nervous system, or areas of the body where nerves are more exposed. You can disable a limb, or a person entirely, if done correctly."

"Wow." Sakura said in amazement. "There is a lot to being a medic ninja." She then went silent and began to study again.

Naruto nodded and closed his eyes. He leaned his head back against the tree to give Sakura the peace she wanted to study in. The quiet didn't last as long Naruto thought it would.

"Naruto, can I ask you something?"

The boy with the whisker birth marks opened a single eye to look at the pinkette. "Sure."

"Back on the bridge, when you saved me and Tsunami from Gatō's men, what happened to you?"

Naruto opened his other eye and turned his head to Sakura. "What do you mean?"

"That red chakra, the way your whisker marks changed. What was all that?"

The blonde's eyes went downcast as he faced his head forward. He didn't answer for a moment and Sakura felt like she may have angered him or something.

"…I'm a special case, Sakura."

That wasn't an answer the girl was expecting. "A special case? What do you mean?"

"I'm the bane of this village's existence, no matter where I go in these walls I'm the outcast. I know you've noticed, and I'm sure Sasuke has too. It gets old being that outcast, being the reason why people have a bad day because I simply exist. That's why people I've tried to kill me. I've been alone so long that I almost forgot what it's like to just sit with someone like this. It's nice, makes the hurt go away a bit."

Sakura wasn't sure what Naruto was saying but continued to listen intently.

He scoffed dryly. "Everything you saw, Sakura, was what I am to the village and why they hate me. Everything that has happened to me is because of a decision I never had a say in. I know what I am. I have to live with the burden that comes with being what I am."

Naruto suddenly stood up and walked away from the stunned Sakura.

"If you need anymore help, come find me and I'll do what I can." Naruto gave a lazy wave over his head. "See you soon, Sakura."


	9. Chapter 9

'Finally, the start of the Chunin Exams.'

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke, with applications in their hands, walked into the building Konoha used for the exams. Team Seven met with Kakashi earlier in the day to get their applications and any other information they would need for the upcoming exam. Kakashi wasn't allowed to say much, the village counsel was against giving their ninja any type of 'home field advantage'. The only thing Kakashi could tell his team was to be in room '301' of this building by midday.

Team Seven heard commotion coming from up ahead as they made their way up the first flight of stairs. They turned the corner to see a large number of genin. There was a kid in a green spandex suit with black hair styled into a bowl cut, and the bushiest eyebrows anyone could ever imagine, stood at the front of the group, wanting entry into the room guarded by a single chunin. The room was '301'.

"Just give up kid. You'll probably be the first death in the exams. We're doing you a favor by not letting you get that far." The chunin said.

A girl with brown hair tied up in Chinese style buns on both sides of her head and a pink qipao-style sleeveless blouse walked up and stood next to the boy in the spandex suit.

"Please just let us through."

The girl was met by a harsh slap to the face by the chunin, the slap was hard enough to knock her on the floor. The green clad boy came to her side and helped her back to her feet.

"What's wrong with you?! We just want to be a chunin, just like you!"

The chunin smirked. "The Chunin Exam aren't easy. I failed three times before I was promoted. Chunins are team leaders and are responsible for the lives of your comrades. No way a kid can do that."

The girl wanted to retort but Sasuke stepped in front of her before she could get a word off. "Just release the genjutsu, will ya? Honestly, how stupid do you think we are?"

The other genin murmured to themselves and their teammates, wondering what Sasuke was talking about. Naruto let a knowing smirk slip his features while Sakura chuckled slightly herself, it was obvious from the very beginning.

The chunin smirked. "You noticed? I must say I'm surprised, even for the 'Rookie of the Year'."

Sasuke smirked confidently at his title. "It wasn't difficult to see through. We were laughing about how lame of a trick it was when we first walked up. But seriously, how could anyone not realize this was the second floor?"

Instantly, the sign '301' changed to show the correct number. The chunin released the hand seal and went on his way up to the third floor. Team Seven was about to follow but the green suited boy stepped in front of them. He flashed a very toothy smile and held a thumbs up.

"My name is Rock Lee! If you're the 'Rookie of the Year' then you must be Sasuke Uchiha. Fight me!"

"Enough Lee. Aren't you the one who said we needed to keep a low profile?"

A kid with long black hair and pale, white featureless pupils and a beige colored shirt, along with bandages wrapped around his right arm and right leg, came forward and stood next to Lee. As did the girl with the Chinese bun style hair.

"Jeez Lee, we don't need to cause a scene."

"Neji, Tenten, I must do this! I cannot contain myself! This fight will be a great way to show how far I've come to beating you, Neji!" The boy proclaimed.

"Are you three done?" Naruto groaned. "We'd like to go and start this thing already."

Team Seven turned and started towards the stairs that led to the third floor. Naruto and Sasuke went up the stairs first. Sakura was about to but, somehow, Rock Lee had closed the distance between them and stood between her and the stairs.

"You are an angel. How would you like to be my girlfriend?"

The strange genin gave her a quick wink before blowing her a kiss, causing Sakura to visible cringe and shutter. The poor girl was clearly caught off guard and really had no idea what to respond with.

"Hey, Bushy Brows, get lost."

Lee turned around to see the blonde-haired kid with the odd whisker marks on his face. He was clearly not amused by Lee's attempt to capture Sakura's heart. Lee could clearly see two things, this boy had feelings for the pink haired kunoichi and he was not be messed with. Lee may be clueless but he knew when someone was strong, and Lee could tell Naruto was very strong.

"It seems you are my rival in love! I must fight you for her hand in love! What is your name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki. Now, get out of Sakura's way. We need our full team to be in the Chunin Exams."

Lee moved out of the way and Sakura scurried past Naruto and up the stairs to where Sasuke was waiting. The blonde eyed the green clad genin, it was apparent this kid was no joke. The bandages that covered his forearms suggested that he was a taijutsu expert, and the out of place orange leg warmers on his shins were obviously hiding something. Chakra weights, Naruto was pretty sure about that.

"We will meet again, Naruto Uzumaki. Our fight will be one that I will remember forever!"

Naruto wanted to brush off the statement but knew he couldn't, he wanted to fight this guy too. It would be a straight brawl, if his hunch about him being a taijutsu expert was correct. The blonde simply nodded and went back up the stairs, where his team was waiting for him.

Lee watched Naruto ascend the stairs while he waited for his team as well. Tenten looked at Lee in slight confusion. "What's with you Lee? I've never seen you like this before."

"I feel Gai sensei's teachings lighting a fire inside me! The power of youth fuels my drive! I will beat both Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha and claim Sakura's heart in the name of love! That is my goal!"

Both Neji and Tenten deadpanned at Lee's loud and 'youthful' statement.

 **-With Team 7** -

"You good, Sakura?"

Sakura shivered again. "That guy was just plain creepy, and that hair cut is not attractive at all!"

Naruto chuckled slightly and Sasuke couldn't hold back an amused smirk. Team 7 continued down the hall towards the actual room '301'. A large set of double doors awaited the team at the end of the hall. The three looked at each other and nodding, letting each other know that they all were ready and wanted to go through with this.

Team Seven opened the doors and entered the next room. When Kakashi said that this year had the highest turn out in the past few years, Naruto thought he was joking. He wasn't. What Naruto expected was there to be a quite a few people present but there was a _ton_ of genin. If he was to guess the amount of people in the room the number would easily be above the one hundred and sixty mark.

"Wow…Kakashi sensei wasn't kidding about the highest turn out…there's so many people in here."

Sasuke scoffed and smirked at Sakura's statement before glancing at her. "Yeah, but we're the strongest team this room. There's nothing to be worried about."

Sakura nodded and scanned the room, hoping to see someone she knew. There weren't any familiar faces as far as she could tell but she did notice someone with red hair. She really didn't want to think about that guy, he gave Sakura a deeper scare than Zabuza ever did.

"Sasuke!" Ino shouted as she jumped on the black-haired boy's back.

"Get off Sasuke, Ino-Pig! He doesn't want some pig like you weighing him down!"

Ino unhooked herself from Sasuke but stayed directly next to him. Naruto still couldn't tell were he should be sorry or envious of him for the attention he was given. Then he noticed the bleach blonde's teammates come up to them.

Team 10: Shikamaru Nara, Chōji Akimichi, and Ino Yamanaka. Shikamaru was a lazy bum, and that was putting it lightly, who always complained about everything. Naruto was pretty sure that Shikamaru thought breathing was a chore. But the Nara boy's I.Q was second to none, easily being the smartest one in their entire generation. Chōji was true fat boy, always eating and complaining constantly when he didn't have some type of food in front of him. Ino was Sakura's rival in love, the two of them had been competing for Sasuke's attention since day one of the academy. Her and Chōji didn't seem to have much of a chance in the exams, but Shikamaru would certainly come up with a plan to get them through most of it.

"Well, well, everyone's all assembled."

Team 8: Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuuga. Kiba, and his ninja hound dog Akamaru, was probably the loudest out of the academy, he always considered himself the boss of anything he was involved in. Shino was very quiet and reserved, Naruto didn't know much about him. Hinata was possibly more reserved than her teammate. To be honest, Naruto thought the girl was a bit weird, every time he looked in her direction she blushed and looked away. He never really thought about that much.

"Geez, not you guys too." Shikamaru groaned.

"All nine of the genin rookies are taking the exam, I see. I wonder how far we all will get, eh Sasuke?"

Ino became visibly agitated when Kiba, who she thought was a loser, started talking to Sasuke.

"Pft…you seem confident Kiba."

"We did a lot of training specifically for the exams. We won't lose to the likes of you."

This time, it was Naruto who scoffed at Kiba's comment. "You're all talk Kiba, Sasuke would never lose to you."

Kiba eyed the blonde up and down before responding. "And who are you to say anything? You rarely ever came to class, even when you did all you did was sleep."

"Yeah, I needed to rest from all the _real_ training I was doing. And who was it that scored the only perfect on the graduation exam and never lost a sparring match?"

Kiba growled and closed the distance between him and Naruto. Hinata seemed to say something, probably trying to stop Kiba from causing a scene, but she was too timid and shy to speak up.

"I don't get your deal man. You think you're better than everyone else because you had some training with the Sandaime during the academy, well you're not."

"Actually, Ojiisan never trained me directly. I did most of that myself."

Kiba growled again as he anger grew, Akamaru whimpered as a sign for his owner to calm down. "I thought you might've changed, become less of an asshole, I thought wrong."

"You guys should be quieter, stop drawing attention to yourselves. It is the dumbest thing you could be doing right now."

An older boy drew the attention of the nine rookies as he made his way towards the small group, He wore a pair of black glasses, and his grey hair was pulled back into a small ponytail. And it was very apparent that his favorite color was purple because his fingerless gloves, shirt, and pants were all different shades of purple.

Kiba shot a confused look at the boy. "Who the hell are you?"

The boy was not fazed by Kiba's brash question. "My name is Kabuto Yakushi. And my suggestion is that you take a look around."

Most of the nine rookies took the opportunity to look at their surroundings, and to their shock and horror nearly every single person the room was glaring at them.

"Some of the villages here are known for having short tempers and will target you if you piss them off. Try to keep your outbursts to a minimum from here on out."

Sakura looked back at Kabuto. "You seem to know a lot about the exams, is this your second time taking it?"

Kabuto laughed slightly and shook his head. "Heavens no, this is my seventh time."

That was a reality check for the rookie nine, they suddenly realized that these exams might be a lot harder than they had previously first thought.

"Your seventh time? You must be a pro at this by now."

"You could say that. I've gathered quite a bit of intel during my four years of taking the Chunin Exams."

It was Shikamaru who spoke next. "What kind of intel?"

Kabuto reached into his pocket and pulled out a deck of cards then taking selecting one from the pile. "These cards are filled with information that only I can activate." Kabuto laid the card face up in his left palm. The front of the card was completely blank and gave no indication that there was any information on it at all. "These are my personally created Ninja Info cards. All I have to do is channel some chakra through them and the info on the specific card will appear."

Sasuke forced his way into view, surprising everyone, as he stared at Kabuto, now very interested in Kabuto's cards. "Can you look up certain people on those cards?"

Kabuto nodded. "Yes. I have information on this year's participants, but the amount varies depending on the village."

"Gaara of the Desert."

Kabuto gave a slight smirk as he flipped through his cards. "You know the name, that makes this much easier."

While Kabuto looked through his deck of info cards, Naruto looked at him suspiciously. Why would he have information on this year's participants? And how? There was no way of telling who would enter the exams, or even predict that this year would have the highest amount in recent years. Hell, Team Seven wasn't entered until a few days ago. The boy kept his suspicions to himself but logged them in the back of his mind.

Kabuto held the card and pumped some chakra into it. "Gaara of the Desert…he's the same age as all of you. His two teammates are his brother and sister, Kankurō and Temari, and there is no information on a sensei. There isn't much on this guy, but he's already completed eight C-Rank missions and one B-Rank mission. His most impressive feat is that he came back from every mission completely unharmed."

Sasuke was surprised to hear this. A B-Rank mission as a genin and returning unharmed from that mission? How strong could this guy be? The black-haired Uchiha loved the idea of challenging Gaara and was growing more and more excited to do so.

"Anyone else want to know something?" Kabuto asked.

"Rock Lee of Konoha."

Kabuto glanced at Naruto, making sure he was the one who had requested it. He shuffled through his deck and pulled out the right card.

"Rock Lee…he's a year older than you and was highly praised for being an outstanding new genin. His team consists of Tenten and Neji Hyuuga with their sensei, Maito Gai. His taijutsu skills are very impressive, but his ninjutsu and genjutsu are nothing to be impressed by. He's completed twenty D-Rank missions and twelve C-Rank. This is also his, and his team's, first time taking the exam."

Naruto nodded and thought about the intel on Lee, considering options on how to possibly win a fight with him. If they were to fight that is, but Naruto was sure of it happening at some point.

"Anyone else?"

"Yeah, Naruto Uzumaki."

Kiba glared at the blonde Uzumaki boy, before looking back at Kabuto, who already had the card pulled out with the information ready.

"Naruto Uzumaki…there are no records of him of being in the village until the age of six. He was enrolled into the academy by the Hokage himself. His attendance was subpar at best, showing up for class on average once a week, but his graduation test score was the only the perfect in the class. He is a well-rounded ninja, having learned, at least, one jutsu of every chakra nature. Some have gone so far to label him as genius. There also seem to be SS-Rank classified files regarding Naruto, with only the Hokage and a select few to have access to them. His team consists of Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha with their sensei, the famed Copy Cat ninja, Kakashi Hatake. He's completed thirty-six D-Rank missions and one C-Rank mission that turned A-Rank, where he captured the Demon Brothers and fought on par with missing S-Rank ninja Zabuza Momochi."

All of the rookie nine, even Sakura and Sasuke, looked at Naruto in shock and confusion. If the boy wasn't already clouded in mystery enough he certainly was now. Having been stared and glared at for the past six years, Naruto was not fazed by everyone's eyes being on him.

"It never dawned on me that Naruto just showed up one day." Ino stated.

"So, what are you hiding, Naruto?"

Naruto looked over at Kiba. "Why do you care if I'm hiding something?"

"That's total bullshit if you have some secret hidden power!"

Naruto rolled his eyes, seemingly more amused than annoyed. "Yeah, because me having a hidden power so much different than Sasuke having the Sharingan, the Hyuuga clan having the Byakugan, or you having an extra partner only you can talk to. Unless you've been just _bullshitting_ us by making us think you can talk to a dog."

Kiba had enough with this asshole insulting him and Akamaru. It was high time someone set him straight! Kiba quickly closed the distance between himself and Naruto but before he could do anything a giant cloud of smoke appeared in the front of the room.

"Everyone shut up and listen!"

Everyone's attention was drawn to the loud, booming voice that came out of the cloud of smoke. It quickly vanished and roughly fifteen Konoha shinobi stood behind a single man. The man wore a trench coat over a simple button up grey vest. His face had two large scars on his face and he wore his hitaiate like a bandana.

"My name is Ibiki Morino, and I'll be your examiner for the first part of the exam. And I'm going to make one thing clear. If _anyone_ fights without an examiner's permission, you and your team will instantly be failed. There is no fighting for this part of the Chunin Exam…that comes later!"

Ibiki turned towards one of the shinobi standing next to him and took a small tile from the man's hand. "Everyone will come up here and grab a number tile to determine where you sit."

It took about twenty minutes before every single person in the room had grabbed a tile and found their assigned seat. All the genin were patiently waiting for further instructions. Naruto tapped his fingers on the desk as he waited, patience was never Naruto's strong suit when it came to tests. He glanced to his left and right, seeing who was seated around him. There was only one person he knew, Hinata Hyuuga.

The Uzumaki could tell that the dark blue-haired kunoichi was nervous. Whether it be because of the exam itself, her teammate nearly starting a brawl with him, or it could be the fact the girl had a crush on him. Naruto did not know or really care. Though, the blonde always wondered why she had a fixation on him, it's not like he did anything special for her. The girl was attractive, in her own right, and Naruto could foresee her becoming very beautiful as she grew up, along with the rest of his former female classmates.

"Now then, to go over the rules of the written test. First, there will be no talking: anyone who talks out of turn will fail instantly. Second, if you fail then your team will also fail. No exceptions. Third, this exam will be completed in one hour. There are ten questions that you'll have to answer correctly in order to make it through to the next stage of the exam. You begin with ten points and each question you get wrong you'll lose a point. Answer all ten questions incorrectly and you fail, along with your team. Also, take notice that the other proctors are seated around the room. They are there to catch anyone stupid enough to cheat, you will lose two points if you are caught…so don't get caught."

Naruto raised his eyebrow. 'That last comment seemed so unnecessary…I'm stunned cheating isn't an instant fail.'

"You have one hour. Begin!"

 **-One hour later-**

Naruto stood from his seat and stretched slightly with a yawn, he had put his head down and a fell asleep when he had figured out the secret to the test.

'It was pretty obvious what they wanted. With all the chunin in the room and that off the wall comment about not getting caught cheating, the point to the test couldn't have been clearer. They wanted us to cheat. To gather information without getting caught is a ninja's main job out on a mission. If you're too obvious then you'll die out on an actual mission. It was never about the questions but rather how well you gather the intel without being detected.'

The blonde, however, decided to push his luck and prove a theory he had. He wished he could see the look on that jōnin proctors face when he would look over his test. The only thing on Naruto's test paper was his name and nothing else.

"You all did well to make it through this part of the exam. You are the ones that actually have the guts and determination to possibly become the ninja we need. But the exam only gets harder from here on out. Now, head outside and you'll meet your instructor for the second stage of the exam."

The passing genin excitedly talked among themselves as they made their way out of the exam building. Once all made it outside, the proctor greeted them loudly.

"There's no time for celebrating! I'm the next examiner for the second test! My name is Anko Mitarashi and you'll be following me from now on!"

All the genin, including Team 7, had no idea what to think about this woman. She had violent hair set in fanned ponytail and wore a tan trench coat over a mesh bodysuit, that seemed to cover her entire body down to her thighs, and a dark orange mini skirt.

Anko looked over the crowd of genin and shook her head. 'Seventy-six, huh. Your test was way too easy Ibiki. Oh well, when I'm through with them at least half will be gone.'

"Alright! We're going to the next testing site! Let's go, you maggots!"

The large crowd of genin followed the new instructor, Naruto stayed next to Sakura and Sasuke.

"What do you think this next test will be?"

Both Sasuke and Naruto glanced back at the pink-haired girl who seemed both nervous and excited about what was coming.

"Who knows. I'm just itching for something more exciting, I want to fight people, not take more written tests."

Naruto nodded in agreement, he, too, was ready to some action. Sakura, however, wasn't as excited about the idea of fighting other people as much as her two male counterparts.

"Yeah, I guess…honestly, I wouldn't mind another written test."

Naruto shot a small smile to Sakura. "Don't be so worrisome, Sakura. You've been training and already have improved so much. And Sasuke and I are more than enough to protect you during the exams if something were to happen. It's going to be okay, Sakura."

The blonde's words seemed to have reassured the pink-hair girl as she nodded and returned the smile.

"Looks like Naruto isn't being an asshole for once."

"Oh grow up Sasuke."

Sakura was confused by her teammates bickering. "I don't understand, why do you and Kiba keep calling Naruto an asshole, Sasuke?"

"You didn't talk to Naruto much when he showed up for classes at the academy, did you Sakura?"

The girl shook her head.

"Well, if you did, you would've realized how much of a jerk he used to be."

"I was going through some stuff, sue me. And it's not like you were any better Sasuke."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and didn't respond to the blonde's comment.

"What kind of stuff were you going through, Naruto? Do you want to talk about?"

Naruto's demeanor suddenly changed, emotion disappeared from his eyes and face as he kept his gaze on the path ahead of him. "It won't make a difference, why talk about it now? All it will be is a waste of time, just like everything else."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow and looked at his blonde teammate in slight concern. Never had he heard Naruto speak like this, it seemed totally unlike him. But then again, there was so much Sasuke didn't know about Naruto. And the possibly of Naruto going through something as traumatic as he did isn't completely out of the question. Maybe it had something to do with him living outside the village before the academy.

Sakura's concern for Naruto skyrocketed even more than it already was from the other day. The more he started to finally open up to them, the more she realized that Naruto held a lot of his true emotions and personal thoughts in. Whatever happened to Naruto that made him bitter towards the world, or possibly himself or someone, but it must've been bad. Sakura came to see that Naruto, despite a somewhat rough exterior, was a kind-hearted person deep down. Letting Haku go, changing Inari's attitude, and being a 'big brother' to Konohamaru showed Sakura that Naruto has a caring side to him.

Sakura wanted to comment on Naruto's statement but was interrupted when Anko suddenly stopped in front of a tall and long chain-linked fence that surrounded a massive forest.

"This is practice area 44, or better known as, the Forest of Death!"

Anko took two scrolls out of her pocket, one with the kanji for 'earth' inscribed on it and the other with the kanji for 'heaven'.

"You will be spending the next seven days inside this area. Each team will be given one of these two scrolls. Heaven and earth. You must obtain the scroll you didn't get and safely make your way to the tower in the center of the forest. If you do this, then you pass the second stage. You have seven days to accomplish this task and killing is allowed, so try and not to get killed."

Anko was handed a large stack of papers by a chunin. She handed out a few stacks of the same paper to the crowd of genin.

"You'll need to sign these waivers because I'm not gonna be responsible for you guys killing each other. Also, opening the scroll you are given is prohibited and will result in you and your team's immediate disqualification, and I can't fully guarantee your lives if you do, so don't open a scroll."

Once everyone accepted the rules of the second part of the Chunin Exams, they turned in the needed paperwork to the desk and received one of the two scrolls. Team Seven was given the 'heaven' scroll. It took about thirty minutes for every team to get a scroll and walk to their designated gate of entry.

Naruto hand checked his gear, making sure he had everything he could possibly need for this next stage of the exam. Sakura and Sasuke did the same as they waited outside their gate. The blonde let out a sigh as he leaned against the fence, the proctor said it was going to be a couple of minutes before the signal was given that gave them the go ahead to enter the forest. His excitement was growing by the second, it was finally time to let loose and go wild!

Sasuke was equally as excited as his blonde teammate, he couldn't wait to start making his way into the forest. He wanted to start fighting people immediately. This was his chance to learn just exactly how strong he really was, and gauge himself to his blonde teammate.

Sakura was easily the least excited member of Team Seven, it wasn't hard to see why either. She was clearly the weakest member of the team, despite training on her own, and she was being thrown into a life or death situation. Naruto and Sasuke were more than plenty to get them all through the exam but that did not calm her anxiety on the situation.

Naruto noticed that Sakura looked nervous, simply by the fact that she continuously combed her fingers through her long pink hair.

"You okay, Sakura?"

The pinkette's head shot towards her blonde teammate. She quickly gave him a small, yet reassuring, smile. "Yeah, of course Naruto!" Then her smile faded and she looked concerningly at Naruto. "What about you? Are you okay? Is there anything you need to talk about?"

Naruto's concern for her quickly faded away from his features and now he showed no emotion. "Why do you want to know so badly? Knowing what I've been through isn't going to change anything."

Sakura was going to speak but it was Sasuke beat her to it.

"We're teammates, dobe. Telling us your experiences gives us a deeper trust than before. Tsunami said that back in the Land of Waves."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah exactly! We won't judge you Naruto. We're here for you."

Naruto looked at his teammates longingly, he felt an odd sensation spreading throughout his body. A feeling he had not felt in a long time. A deep care for those that surrounded him. He nodded slowly.

"Okay, I'll tell you. But only after we made through this stage and on to the next one."

"You promise?"

Naruto nodded again, a small smile gracing his lips. "Yeah. I promise."

There was a loud chiming bell that echoed through the air and the entry gate suddenly sprang opened.

"I guess that was the signal telling us that the test has started." Sasuke figured.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. Let's get a move on!"


	10. Chapter 10

Teams scattered themselves throughout the entire Forest of Death, all ten kilometers were covered in dense vegetation. It didn't take long for teams to find, or simple run into, opposing teams, the fight for life had commenced.

 **-With Team 8-**

Kiba, Hinata, and Shino had stopped a good distance into the forest to formulate a plan. All the while another team of Konoha genin watched them from above in the trees.

"So, setting traps is the way to go since everyone one is basically headed for the tower in the center of the forest, right?"

"Once they take the other scroll from another team. Why you ask? Because those are the terms to advance to the next stage."

The Konoha genin that watched Team 8 couldn't believe that they were just standing there out in the open like that.

"These kids don't realize they're being watched by us yet. Standing out in the open like that, do they want to be found?"

Suddenly, the genin gasped in pain as the blood drained from his face and he begin to turn blue. His teammate was about to ask if he was alright, but he noticed a giant slug attached to the back of his neck.

"What the hell is that?!"

He and his other teammate looked up to see a large group of the same slug falling onto them and then leaching on them. All three screamed as they fell down to the forest floor, right in front of Team 8. They all groaned in pain, trying to get their bearings back. It was then all three of the genin saw they had landed in a net hidden by scattered leaves, and one of the genin had just put their hand down on a wire to trigger the trap. All three screamed again as they dangled in the air inside the net with the slugs.

"Konoha's infamous jumping leaches. They sense life forms and attack in large groups from above. Five minutes of being sucked by one of those things and you'll die of blood loss. We realized they have a nest up in one of those trees and set a trap accordingly. One team down!"

The genin let out one more blood curdling scream that echoed throughout the entire forest, making it all the way back to the proctor for the second stage. It made her smile.

 **-With Team 7-**

Team 7 heard the scream and it made them stop in their tracks. Naruto and Sasuke weren't fazed by it but Sakura trembled when the scream echoed off the trees.

"Was that…a human scream?"

"Probably, yeah." Naruto said nonchalantly.

"And that doesn't bother either one of you?"

"It just means there is one less team to deal with. That's a good thing for us." Sasuke added.

Sakura stared at both her teammates. 'I'm not sure that's how normal people react to that sort of thing…'

Naruto looked up to the trees, seemingly looking for something. Sasuke noticed this and looked up as well.

"What's up, see anything up there?"

Naruto shook his head. "No, I don't like not having the high ground in a situation like this. That'll be key when we come across another team."

Sasuke nodded in agreement. "Good idea. We'll stick to the trees from now on."

Sakura stayed quiet and simply followed her teammates lead. While she was clearly had the brains and was the smartest of the three, her two teammates had more battle experience therefore having a better chance of formulating a plan. But that didn't simply mean she'd just follow them blindly.

"What's the plan of action?"

Sasuke glanced back to his pink-haired teammate. "Find another team with the Earth scroll and take it."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "This is a pretty much a search and destroy mission. We should scout out the area about half way to the tower and see if we can trap anyone. There are only thirteen teams with the scroll we need. I have a feeling teams will head straight for the tower and set up ambushes."

Naruto nodded in agreement. "I'll use my shadow clones to cover larger areas. And you can set up the traps, Sakura."

"And I'll use my Sharingan to look for anything that might be a trap or if any teams get to close to us."

Naruto landed on a large branch, as did his two teammates along with him. "Alright. We'll stay here until we get a better of the idea of the terrain." The blonde made a cross with his fingers.

" _Kage Bushin no Jutsu!_ "

A mass of clones appeared around Team 7, already having the knowledge of what they needed to do they all took off in different directions. They barely left a trace they were ever there.

"Your stealth abilities will never cease to surprise me, dobe."

Naruto shrugged. "It's not that hard. Just always be aware of your surroundings, that's the key."

"So now what do we do?"

"Well, I don't expect for my clones to find a team with the Earth scroll for a while. This would be a good time to get some rest- "

Naruto couldn't finish his sentence as a strong gust of wind whipped through the trees, stripping them of bark and leaves, and blasted Naruto off the branch.

"Naruto!" Sakura shouted as she watched her teammate be blown away.

Sasuke quickly activated his Sharingan and scanned the area for any threats. Nothing was out there from what he eyes could see.

"That wasn't natural wind." Sakura quickly deduced.

"It was a jutsu, and a strong one at that if Naruto couldn't withstand it."

"But we did?"

"That's because I wasn't aiming for you two. Especially not you, _Sasuke."_

The voice was high, like a woman's, yet icy and filled is despair as it came from the shadows. Sasuke and Sakura watched silently as a tall, dark haired woman, with the hitaiate held the symbol for Kusagakure, rose from the shadows in front of them. The woman's skin was as pale as a corpse and the predatory gleam in her, snake like, yellow eyes send shivers down Sakura and Sasuke's spine, especially Sasuke because of how the woman had said his name.

"W-Who are you? And what do you want?" Sasuke inwardly cursed that he couldn't help the quiver in his voice.

The woman giggled and licked her lips with the longest tongue either of the two genin had ever seen. "Oh don't worry _Sasuke_ , we will get to that in due time. But first, you need to pass my test."

Sasuke couldn't muster up any words, he was too scared to even breath. Both he and Sakura felt a debilitating, crushing cold surround and force them to their knees as the air was stolen from their lungs. It was as if someone had reached into their bodies and was slowly crushing their hearts and lungs with their hands. The two genin looked into the tall woman's eyes and gasped as visions of kunai flying passed them, mercilessly cutting them and piercing their skulls.

'Genjutsu?!'

Sasuke hunched over and puked out the contents of his stomach while Sakura just stared off in the distance, she was trembling uncontrollably and had tears streaming down her face.

'No, that was just fear…that killing intent from his eyes alone was beyond anything Zabuza could've had. Just who the hell is this guy?!'

"Sakura…we need to get out of here…"

Sakura was frozen in fear, Sasuke wasn't even sure the poor girl had heard him.

'This is bad! We need to leave otherwise this guy is going to kill us!'

"It's a pity, one would think that being _his_ brother you would show more promise and skill. Oh well, the weak never survive." The woman drew a pair of kunai and threw them at Sakura and Sasuke with ease and deadly accuracy.

'Move!'

The woman watched curiously as Sasuke drew his own kunai and stabbed himself in the leg. He, then, used the rush of adrenaline to grab his teammate and make a run for it. The two kunai sank into the tree branch behind where the two had just been kneeling.

"Interesting. He injured himself to overcome his fear. As I thought, he isn't so ordinary."

 **-With Naruto-**

'Well, if I'm honest, I didn't think this is where I'd be a year ago today.' Naruto couldn't help his sarcastic thought as he struggled to break free from the intestines of the giant snake he was in.

Naruto wasn't able to recover fast enough from the huge blast of wind that separated him from his teammates and was swallowed whole by a massive snake.

'But seriously, where the hell did this snake come from?! Snakes of this size aren't indigenous to the Land of Fire, or anywhere for that matter! This has to be a summon, but who's? The only person I know of who has a summoning contract with the snakes is…'

Naruto's stomach turned and twisted itself into knots at the thought of _him_ going after Sasuke and Sakura. He needed to get back to them now!

The blonde wiggled his hands up to his chest and held hand sign.

" _Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu!_ " (Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu)

The snake's stomach was filled with clones and the snake burst in two from just the sheer number of clones it had in it's body. The clones dispersed in clouds of smoke, leaving the real Naruto covered in the snake's blood. The blonde didn't care. He needed to get to Sakura and Sasuke now!

 **-With Sasuke and Sakura-**

"Sakura! Sakura!"

The pinkette was still entranced with fear, tears still fell freely down her cheeks and her trembling hadn't slowed. The poor girl was still in shock.

 _ **SLAP!**_

A pinkish tinge formed on Sakura's face from where Sasuke had just hit her with his hand. That seemed to do the trick. Sakura blinked a few times and snapped out of her slump. She wiped her cheeks free of her tears.

"Sasuke? W-What happened Where are we?"

"We're in the Forest of Death, remember? The second stage of the Chunin Exams."

Sakura's memory clicked instantly. She stiffed when the vision she saw and the fear she felt reentered her mind. "Where's that woman? How did we get away?"

"She put us under some type of trance or something. I was able to break myself free and get us away."

Sakura was about to question how Sasuke broke the trance but she saw the kunai that was still stuck in his leg. "Where's Naruto?"

"I'm not sure. And keep your voice down, we can't give our position away in a situation like this."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "We need to find Naruto. If that woman finds us, we'll need him to have a chance."

Sasuke hated to admit it but Sakura was right. Sasuke may have closed the gap between the two of them with the awaken of his Sharingan and all the extra training he had been doing, but that would mean nothing fighting against this woman. Besides, Kakashi's main teaching was teamwork, they were stronger together.

"You two really need to work on keeping up your guard."

Sasuke jumped back and put himself in between the voice of the woman and Sakura. The woman was standing about ten feet away from them on an opposing branch.

"When in the presence of a predator, one must never let down their guard."

Sasuke was at a loss, he had no idea what to do. The pure killing intent that this woman was emitting was enough to render a person in a state of fear they had never known. Was this the end? All the training he had done, for nothing?

The memory of _that night_ appeared in Sasuke's mind, his entire clan lying dead in their own blood. He remembered running through the compound, trying to find any sign of life as tears ran down his face. Then he found the very thing he was begging whatever entity was out there not to see. His mother and father dead on the floor of his home. And his older brother standing over their lifeless bodies.

" _Foolish little brother. If you want to kill me, harbor that hate towards me. Grow stronger and try to survive like the pathetic weakling you are!"_

It was like a light switch in the Uchiha's brain. The fear was turned into anger, a red-hot boiling anger that was filled with hatred and it manifested into the Sharingan. Sasuke reached into his weapons pouch and pulled out four kunai, holding them in between his fingers, and a smaller version of the windmill shuriken.

'I must survive in order to kill my brother!'

The woman smirked. "There we go, _Sasuke._ Show me your potential!"

Sasuke threw all four kunai at the woman, but she zig-zagged her way through the objects. Sasuke grabbed a tree and used it to turn himself in midair. Then threw the mini windmill shuriken right where the woman was about to be. The woman jumped over the shuriken to dodge it.

Sasuke glued himself to the tree with his chakra and drew one more kunai. He threw the kunai at the woman the second she landed. She dodged it like all the other weapons but failed to notice that was Sasuke's plan all along.

Sasuke pulled on the wires he had attached to certain kunai and the windmill shuriken with his hands and mouth. Sasuke, and Sakura for that matter, thought he had won the battle with the shuriken hit the woman's face, but he was sadly mistaken when the woman turned her head to reveal she had caught the shuriken in her mouth.

"Hehe, not bad _Sasuke_." Somehow, the woman was able to speak clearly with the shuriken in her mouth. "The Windmill Triple Blade technique was a nice touch. Reading my movements to trap me like this is very impressive."

Sasuke held a hand seal over the wire he held with his mouth.

' _Katon: Ryūka no Jutsu!'_ (Fire style: Dragon Flame Jutsu)

Fire traveled down the wire and straight to the woman's face. The smell of scorched flesh that filled the air told Sasuke and Sakura it was a direct hit.

"To use the Sharingan this well at your age is truly amazing, _Sasuke_. You two really are brothers."

The woman looked up and the two genin were frozen in fear once more. The woman ripped off the burnt flesh, like a snake ridding itself of its old skin, and tossed it aside. The face underneath was far paler than the one before. And his golden, snake like eyes were surrounded by purple markings.

"Just who the hell are you?!"

"My name is Orochimaru. And this is my parting gift to you, _Sasuke."_

Sasuke and Sakura, still frozen from fear, watched in horror as Orochimaru's neck extended and sunk his teeth into Sasuke's neck. The Uchiha wasn't sure what the man did but he neck exploded in pain beyond anything we had ever felt before. He let out a bloodcurdling scream and clutched where the man had bit him.

"What did you do to Sasuke?!"

"I gave him a gift, like I said I would. I can give you the power you desire to kill Itachi. One day you'll leave this village and come to me. Seek me out Sasuke, I have faith you'll survive everything to come. Good-bye for now, remember our meet- "

Orochimaru was ceremoniously cut off by a massive kick to the face that sent him a good distance away. The man was surprised that he didn't sense or even see it coming. Whoever this person was had amazing stealth skills.

"Naruto!" Sakura cried in joy.

The blonde-haired genin rushed to his teammates side. He immediately noticed something on Sasuke's neck. It was a black seal of three tomoe.

"What the hell happened Sakura?"

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know. This guy just bit Sasuke's neck and he screamed."

Naruto couldn't believe the state of his two teammates. Sakura was obviously fearing for her life and Sasuke was in unimaginable pain that he probably couldn't begin to describe. They needed to get out of here and quickly.

"My, my, what a pleasant surprise. And here I thought my snake had swallowed you whole, Nine Tails."

Naruto growled in growing anger as he looked over his shoulder. "The Snake Sannin, Orochimaru."

"Y-You know this guy?" Sakura stammered.

"In a matter of speaking."

Orochimaru held a wicked smirk. "I'm glad you're here, Nine Tails. I've always wanted to tame a fox as a pet!"

Naruto turned fully around and eyed the Sannin. He wasn't sure why but looking at him feel anger that he had never felt before. He was completely distracted by his anger that he clenched his fists so hard that his fingernails pierced his skin and drew blood.

"Naruto…" Sasuke was somehow able to speak through his pain. "You need to run, get out of here. This guy is way too strong for us."

Sasuke had finally succumbed to the pain and passed out. Sakura was close enough to the Uchiha to catch him before he hit the ground. The jinchuriki was silent for a few moments, contemplating his thoughts.

"Naruto…?"

"Sakura…take Sasuke and get far away from here as fast as you can. I'll hold him off while you guys escape. Go get help, go hide, I really don't care. Just get the hell away and stay safe."

"Are you insane, baka?! There's no way you can fight him alone if he really is a Sannin!"

"Think about it Sakura. This is Orochimaru, the Sannin who betrayed the village. Only the other two Sannin and Ojiisan can rival him in power. He's too smart to use his full power this close to the village. Ojiisan would sense it instantly and come here."

"You are very perceptive, Nine Tails brat, more than I gave you credit for. It seems Jiraiya wasn't as bad of a teacher than I would've thought. I guess third time is the charm."

"That does it!"

Naruto snapped his wrists down to the ground which resulted in two small craters from the sheer weight of the white chakra bracelets he wore. He did the same with each leg and another two craters were formed when the chakra weights hit the ground. The blonde was too focused on the Sannin to notice Sakura's stunned expression.

In the blink of an eye, Naruto had already thrown a barrage of punches and kicks at Orochimaru. The Sannin was greatly impressed by the jinchuriki's speed and strength. He wasn't able to dodge all of the attacks so he blocked with his arms, but even blocking those strikes caused the Sannin to wonder how strong this boy really was.

'Those weights were easily three hundred pounds apiece. He was carrying over one thousand pounds like it was nothing!'

Naruto finally landed back by his team to create some distance between him and Orochimaru. Those strikes were to gauge himself against the Sannin's very limited form, he was surprised to see that the gap between their power wasn't that far.

Sakura was shocked, no, utterly floored. Naruto was, not only, exchanging blows with a Legendary Sannin but he wasn't affected by his enormous killing intent. She knew Naruto was strong but, honestly, what kind of genin is this strong?!

"What did you do to Sasuke, Orochimaru? What's that seal on his neck all about?"

The pale Sannin chuckled. "You're smarter than you look as well, Naruto. You are correct, that is a seal. A cursed seal."

"Cursed seal? What the hell is that?"

Orochimaru chuckled again. "I'm sure you'll learn in time. But now, let us continue."

The blonde immediately appeared in front of the Sannin and they exchanged blows once more. The speed of their strikes and their dashing in between trees was too much for Sakura to follow. She simply blinked and their battle had changed locations.

Naruto slid back a few feet and went through a series of hand seals.

" _Katon: Karyūdan!"_ (Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bullets)

Naruto gathered chakra in his mouth and shot a bullet of fire towards Orochimaru. The Sannin had foreseen the attack coming and jumped to avoid it, but Naruto had already jumped into the air and placed a well-aimed kick to the ribs that sent the snake Sannin crashing through a branch. Orochimaru was able to land on his feet and just barely blocked another punch to his stomach. The two struggled for dominance.

'Damn…he's stronger than I thought. I could easily quash him but if I use any more of my power I'll run the risk of being discovered. I need to stay hidden for my plan to work.'

Naruto threw a punch with his other hand but Orochimaru was able to catch it.

'I have no choice but to mark him as well. I'm not sure how it'll affect him as a jinchuriki but he's too strong for my limited state to handle. But if giving him the Curse Mark doesn't work I'll just seal him off from the Kyuubi, that should even the odds enough for me to escape.'

Orochimaru was snapped out of his thoughts when he noticed Naruto had a smile on his face.

"You're done, Orochimaru!"

Coming up from the ground were four large rock walls that boxed the two of them in with only the top being left open. Three clones of Naruto stood on three of the rock walls.

"Impossible! I never saw you create any clones!"

"I didn't. These clones are from before you hit me with that wind jutsu. A few close by had heard the commotion and came back to help. They transformed themselves into rocks and waited for the right time to help."

This boy continued to truly impress the Sannin. It seemed the rumors that surrounded him weren't just rumors, Naruto Uzumaki was a true prodigy and genius in the art of battle. Jiraiya obviously did something very right in raising and training him.

Two of the clones went through a different series of hand seals while the third one held the _Doton_ hand seal. The real Naruto kneed Orochimaru in the stomach and jumped on top of one of the rock walls.

" _Katon: Karyūdan!"_

" _Fūton: Tatsumaki!"_ (Wind Style: Dashing Tornado Jutsu)

A tornado funneled itself into existence around Orochimaru and the bullet of fire hit the tornado and ignited into a fire tornado of epic proportions. The flames were fueled by the power of the tornado that burned everything between the walls.

A massive burst of white smoke covered the flame tornado and a large area. Naruto was thrown from the cloud and into a tree, hitting the back of his head hard against it and dazing him. Where the rock wall prison once stood was now a massive purple snake with Orochimaru standing on top of it's head.

The Sannin wasted no time and wrapped his extended tongue around Naruto's neck. He brought the blonde closer to him and gripped his throat with his hand.

"I can't believe how strong you are, Naruto. A mere genin pushing me to summon Manda, the snake's leader, wasn't something I ever thought possible. I must give you a reward for doing so well against me."

Orochimaru bit Naruto's neck like he had done to Sasuke. The blonde screamed out in pain as the same seal appeared on his neck. But Orochimaru instantly saw something wasn't right, the seal only had one tomoe and was struggling to create a second tomoe.

'I know the Nine Tails would resist the mark but it should be two tomoe, at least. I guess this kid wore me down more than I thought. No matter, I planned for this.'

Orochimaru brought his hand up to eye level while his other hand lifted Naruto's shirt, exposing his stomach and a seal already on the boy's stomach.

"Interesting. Emotions trigger the Kyuubi's chakra and cause the seal to appear on your stomach. That makes it much easier for me to disturb it and separate you two."

Five small purple flames appeared on Orochimaru's fingertips. _"Gogyō Fūin!"_ (Five-Pronged Seal)

The Sannin thrusted his hand forward to Naruto's stomach, only to be caught a mere inch away from the seal by the blonde himself. A deep growl came from his throat as he glared with scarlet red eyes.

"You...will not… **separate us**!"

The blonde's voice changed midsentence and extremely caught the Sannin off guard. This boy continued to shock and amaze him further. Naruto quickly reached into his pouch, pulled out an explosive tag and placed on Orochimaru's arm. The explosion was instant and Naruto was thrown from the dark cloud of smoke.

Naruto fell freely towards another tree branch and prepared himself to hit it hard, but his fall was broken by Sasuke's unconscious body. The blonde weakly turned to see Sakura landing next to him. She used Sasuke's body as a cushion to break his fall.

"I hope Sasuke doesn't get mad I did that."

"I don't think he'll remember." The blonde broke into a coughing fit that caused blood to fall from his mouth. "Damn…I think that explosion burst a couple of organs."

Sakura placed her hands on the injured blonde's chest and her hands began to glow an emerald green, using everything she had to help her teammate. "Damnit! These healing jutsus aren't working!"

Naruto shook his head. "No, they wouldn't. They are used to treat small injuries. You'll need more advanced training to heal something like this."

Sakura looked at her teammate with shock and sadness in her eyes, sadness because she couldn't do anything for her injured friend. She nodded in understanding.

"Is he gone?"

Naruto shifted as he sat up a bit more, placing his hand over the seal on his neck. "I think I got him with that last attack- "

"Never assume you've killed anyone until you see the body."

Orochimaru walked out of the dark smoke cloud completely unharmed from the explosion. Sakura gasped as she gripped Naruto's arm tightly, but she did not cower away.

The blonde briefly drifted in and out of consciousness, it almost slipped by him that Orochimaru was unscathed by his last attack. He would've scoffed at the scene but he was simply in too much pain to do so.

"You've truly impressed me, Naruto. It appears I was wrong about who my next vessel should be, but I'll be able to control that beast of yours with the Sharingan regardless. I would have loved to see what your full potential could be but I cannot let my existence here be known. You two will die here and Sasuke will continue on with the Chunin Exams by himself."

The Sannin drew a kunai as he walked closer to Team Seven. Sakura prepared herself for the worst but Naruto had other plans. Naruto wiped his hand over his shirt, that was covered in his blood from his coughing, executed a series of hand signs, and placed his hand on the branch.

" _Kuchiyose no Jutsu…"_

The puff of smoke was small and nothing to threatening to the Sannin, he honestly wasn't shocked that Naruto had a summoning contract. The white smoke cleared to reveal a small green toad with a white mohawk and a small goatee. He wore a simple black cloak over his back.

"Naruto-boy, I thought I told yer that summoning me was against the rules we set when ya signed the contract."

The blonde chuckled. "Sorry Grandpa Sage, I couldn't think of anything else."

Orochimaru stopped dead in his tracks, this was honestly the last thing he would have expected to see. Naruto, a genin, had just summoned the great toad sage, leader of the toad army, Fukasaku.

"Aye. Orochimaru, it has been a good while."

The snake Sannin growled. "The Grand leader of the toads, Fukasaku…"

This particular toad's strength wasn't anything to scoff at. He was one of the first to harness and master natural energy and create the ability to become a sage. He had seen, first hand, the powers of a toad sage from his time as Jiraiya's teammate. The Snake Sannin wasn't completely sure that he could defeat this summon and walk away, even at full power.

"I'll let this one slide Naruto-boy, seeing how yer in rough shape and fightin' a Sannin."

The blonde let out a small, dry chuckle. "Thanks gramps."

The elder toad hopped towards Orochimaru, who, in turn, took cautionary steps back onto his own summon's head. Sakura couldn't help but let her mouth hang wide open in disbelief. Just who was this frog and how strong was he?

"If you're here then that idiot isn't that far behind."

"Then I suggest ya get yerself up and gone before he shows up."

Orochimaru showed an uncharacteristic amount of frustration on his face. The Snake Sannin had spent too much time here as it was, he needed to leave and regroup. But there was still the problem of them knowing he was here, that could not be known to anyone. And the sudden appearance of Fukasaku was an unforeseen variable that threw an even bigger wrench into his plans. Orochimaru was prepared to face his old master but not his fellow Sannin, who was certainly not far behind the leader of the toads.

Granted, Orochimaru could deploy his inside man to take care of this annoyance. But that would change up his plans even more.

'Oh well. A necessary evil at this point.'

"That idiot will never be able to stop me. That need to save me has always made him weak."

"Jiraiya-boy has changed, Orochimaru. He isn't the same no more."

Orochimaru laughed wickedly. "I find that hard to believe. Nothing will stand in my way, you damn frog. Nothing!"

In a large explosion of white smoke, Orochimaru and his purple snake summon disappeared completely. Fukasaku let out a sigh of relief and hopped back to Team 7.

"I'm glad he still thinks I'm as strong as I used to be." The green frog chuckled.

"Wait what?"

"My best years are behind me, young one. I'm not as spry as I once was."

Sakura was, honestly, lost, so lost in fact she thought all the events of the past hour was a dream and she was about to wake up in her room. Sadly, she continued to live in this reality.

"Hey gramps, can you lo…" Naruto finally succumbed to his pain and exhaustion and passed out mid-sentence.

"Naruto!"

"It's quite alright, the lad will pull through."

"How can you be so sure? Him and Sasuke are both in rough shape, and it's only the first day of the exams…"

"The lad has always had a knack for defying the odds." The elder frog smirked. "I guess it's time for me to leave. Good luck with the rest of yer exams."

"Wait!"

"Hm?"

Sakura laid Naruto down next to Sasuke then turned to face the green toad. "Can you help me get them somewhere safe? I'm not strong enough to carry them both."

Fukasaku nodded. "No problem. I've missed the lad."

The green frog hopped back over and picked up the unconscious Naruto, greatly surprising Sakura that something so small could lift someone nearly ten times his size, while Sakura put Sasuke's arm around her shoulder. The two jumped off the branch towards the forest floor. With Sakura leading the way, they searched for anything that could be used for a safe place for Naruto and Sasuke to recuperate.

They searched for roughly fifteen minutes before Sakura spotted a small area where the roots of a tree came out above the ground and made a small bunker type area below it. Sakura laid Sasuke down and Fukasaku did the same with Naruto right next to the Uchiha.

"There yer go lad. Everythin' should be fine now."

Sakura nodded slowly but did not seem relieved.

"What's the matter girl?"

Tears formed in the young girl's jade eyes. "They're both really hurt and there isn't a thing I can do…I thought I might be able to do something but nothing's changed…"

"Now now, everythin' will be right- "

"How can you say that at a time like this?! My teammates are hurt and there isn't a damn thing I could've done to help them! How is everything okay?!"

Sakura sniffled and trembled for a few moments before wiping her eyes with her wrist.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled like that."

Fukasaku laughed, yes laughed, at the pinkette's apology. This confused the girl. "Forgive my laughter, it's just ya reminded me of my wife. She's a bit of a firecracker too." The elder toad let out a small sigh. "Naruto-boy will never stay down for long. That's just not how the lad works. I've watched him grow from up close and from afar and he's got somethin' special that none else have."

"What's that?"

"The stubbornness to never give up. He's got the making of somethin' great in him."

Sakura looked at the unconscious blonde in amazement. Was that why he was so strong?

"You watched him grow up?"

"In a matter of speaking, yes. The lad was always on the move with Jiraiya-boy, I wouldn't see him for months at a time."

"Jiraiya? Of the legendary Sannin?!"

Fukasaku nodded. "The very one. He is the lad's godfather."

Sakura was shocked, and it showed on her face. "I had no idea…"

"Aye. I would reckon you wouldn't. Naruto-boy and Jiraiya-boy aren't exactly on good terms."

Sakura put two-and-two together instantly. "Why? What happened? Does it have to do with him being left in the village?"

Fukasaku was about to answer but it suddenly dawned on him that this girl was unaware of the boy's past. Naruto would be furious with him for telling his teammate what he apparently wanted kept a secret. "I'm afraid I've said too much, young one. Looks like Naruto-boy wants this kept a secret and I'll respect his privacy."

While Sakura was disappointed, she understood what the toad was saying. "I understand."

"He'll tell ya in due time lad, he's just a bit on the weary side of things. Doesn't know who to trust or how much."

Sakura remained silent as she watched the Fukasaku give a small wave before bursting into a plume of white smoke and disappearing completely. Leaving the pinkette alone to protect her teammates as night began to set in on the first night of the Chunin Exams.


	11. Chapter 11

Sunlight shined through the trees of the Forest of Death as the second day of the second stage of the Chunin Exams began. It seemed through was an unwritten truce for the remaining teams because there were hardly any fights throughout the night, or so Sakura thought.

The lone female of Team 7 stayed awake throughout the night to watch over her teammates and do what she could for them, which was only wipe away any sweat that formed from their high fevers. She occasionally tried the medical techniques but she simply didn't have the experience to use them properly. Sasuke seemed to be having it worse than Naruto because kept twitching in his sleep while Naruto would only groan and, occasionally, mutter something that Sakura couldn't understand.

'I really hope Naruto and Sasuke will be okay. Sasuke's fever is going down and Naruto hasn't moved as much as in the past hour. I think the worst for them has passed.'

 **-With Team 10-**

The Ino-Shika-Cho trio of this generation were probably the most well off of any teams that were still left after the first day. Not be because they already had the scroll they needed or they spent the entire day searching for food and a good source of water, it was because they hid just beyond the gate they had entered in.

"We need to find a weaker team then us so we can get that scroll!"

"Ino, there isn't a team weaker than us." Shikamaru continued to show his carelessness as he laid back against a tree. Honestly, the platinum blonde was surprised that the Nara genius was awake.

"Guys…I'm hungry."

Ino groaned very loudly. She was _not_ going to deal these two complaining for another day while other teams were probably already at the tower resting. The kunoichi ripped out a part of the bush they were hiding in and walked deeper into the forest.

Her two teammates gave a questioning look at each other before groaning inwardly to themselves as they stood up and followed her.

 **-Team 8-**

Kiba and, his partner in crime, Akamaru had been standing watch for the past two hours while his teammates slept. They had taken turns throughout the night. It was rather calming morning in the forest that was famed for death. Kiba found it a bit ironic, the forest was quieter at night.

The brown-haired tracker ninja caught a small whiff of a familiar scent that a calm morning breeze carried, both him and Akamaru smelt it. The white-haired ninja hound looked up at his master, who nodded, and then took off in the direction of the scent.

Hinata stirred awake when Akamaru ran through a bush. "Where's Akamaru going, Kiba?"

Kiba looked back and half smiled. "We caught a scent of a team nearby. Akamaru went to go scope it out."

That shot the Hyuuga girl's nerves and anxiety sky high. Hinata didn't believe she was ready for something like this. Yesterday was different because it was a trap set up by Shino and Kiba, there was nothing she had to do. But that didn't mean Hinata was okay with having those slugs suck most of that team's blood then taking the slugs off and leaving them to suffer and probably die, then not getting the scroll they needed.

"O-Okay…"

 **-With Naruto-**

For some reason, Naruto remembered the ankle high water being colder. Something was different since the last time he had appeared deep in his subconscious. But the Kyuubi wasn't awake and waiting for him this time. The lazy fox ignored Naruto's attempts to wake him. The blonde figured he, or the Kyuubi, wouldn't be waking up anytime soon, so he sat with his back against the big red gate and pulled out _that_ book to read.

It didn't take long.

" **Hmm. Why do you read that book? It messes with our heads. I can feel what you feel, remember?"**

Naruto smirked, putting the book back in his jacket. "I was hoping we could finish that discussion from the other day."

" **Very well."**

"Mind telling me how me and that Gaara guy are alike?"

" **That sand boy has the One-Tailed, Shukaku, sealed in him. The jinchuriki for Sunagakure."**

"The One-Tail? Does that mean there are more of you?"

" **Yes. There are nine bijū in total, varying from one to nine tails. Meaning I am the strongest tailed beast in existence!"**

"Yeah yeah, calm down furball. Don't go boasting and get off track now, keep talking. What's a jinchuriki?"

The Kyuubi let out a deep growl, letting his host know that he was annoyed by that last comment. **"A jinchuriki is what a person becomes when a bijū is sealed into them. A human sacrifice for the greater good of a village."**

Naruto looked down and his eyes went dull. "A sacrifice for the good of the village…"

" **Despite whatever circumstances that lead to someone getting a bijū sealed within them, they will always be a sacrifice. A means to an end, a deterrent, trump card. Whatever you want to call it. All means the same no matter where you go."**

Naruto's expression didn't change, his eyes just became duller. He reached into his inside jacket pocket and held something that always stayed near his heart. "Yeah, I figured…"

The Kyuubi raised his eyebrow, despite Naruto not being able to see his confusion. **"That flower you carry, what's your purpose for it?"**

Naruto slightly moved his fingers over the object in his inner jacket pocket. "I thought you could feel what I feel, hear my thoughts?"

" **Not when it comes to** _ **her**_ **."**

"Yeah, well, _she's_ one of the few things that keeps me whole. A promise to myself that pushes me well past my limits."

" **What does that girl mean to you? Why is she the one that keeps you 'whole'?"**

Naruto's eyes regained their deep blue color. There was a rush of something in the moist air and the Kyuubi noticed it immediately. "As long as she's there, I will be whole."

 **-With Sakura-**

The pinkette had been catching herself starting to fall asleep for frequently over the past hour. She heard rustling in the bushes a few times but there was nothing, Sakura was afraid she was starting to hear things. She took the sweat drenched rag off Sasuke's forehead, rung it out and wiped off the remaining sweat from his brow.

"I hope you guys wake up soon."

"I wouldn't count on it."

Sakura gasped as she quickly turned around. She was prepared to face an enemy but was caught off guard when it was a fellow Konoha genin stood before her.

"Kabuto?"

The experienced genin gave a small nod. "Sakura Haruno, the lone kunoichi of Team Seven. And by far the weakest."

The pink-haired genin drew a kunai in defense of herself and her unconscious teammates. "You want our scroll."

Kabuto shrugged. "I mean that is the objective of this survival test, but that's not why I'm here."

Sakura raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Then what are you here for?"

"You, and your blonde teammate over there."

Sakura's eyes widened and looked over her shoulder to Naruto, who was still out cold, before she focused her attention back on Kabuto. "What do you want with us?"

"Nothing to difficult. My boss can't let his existence here be known so soon. I've been ordered to kill the two that know and let Sasuke come to him when the time is right."

"K-Kill us?! You're a ninja of Konoha!"

"Killing is allowed in this part of the exam. Which makes it the perfect cover story and keeps my cover intact."

Sakura held her defensive stance. "You're a traitor. Who do you work for?"

"Naïve girl, I was never a Konoha shinobi. And since I'm about to kill you and Naruto, I suppose letting the knowledge of my allegiance to Lord Orochimaru slip isn't the worst thing."

"You work for Orochimaru?!"

"Heavens no, I don't work for Lord Orochimaru. I learn from him."

Sakura gripped her kunai tightly. "What does Orochimaru want with Sasuke?"

"Lord Orochimaru has plans for the Uchiha. He knows all about how he's felt second rate to Naruto. Lord Orochimaru is offering Sasuke the chance to grow into the ninja we all know he can be."

"There's no way I'll let you near Sasuke! Or Naruto!"

Kabuto chuckled, drawing his own kunai. "I was hoping you'd say something like that."

Sakura prepared herself to clash kunai with the purple clad genin but she was surprised when Kabuto threw his kunai at the ground, cutting the wire for the trap she had set up.

"I've been watching you for the past couple of hours. Oh, how smart you must've felt when you set it."

Out of pure anger and frustration, Sakura threw her kunai at Kabuto. He easily dodged the projectile and it sank into a tree behind him. "Was that all?"

Sakura smirked and jumped back to a safe distance. "Not at all."

A giant log swung down from up in the trees towards Kabuto. The grey-haired genin was not fazed by this. He stiffened up his hand and poured chakra into it, causing his hand to glow blue and come to a point. Kabuto sliced through the giant log like paper. _"Chakura no Mesu!"_ (Chakra Dissection Blade)

Sakura was shocked by what she had just witnessed. She was curious on how Kabuto was able to cut through that log like he did but she didn't have the time to think about it because Kabuto charged at her. The elder genin was too quick for Sakura and he was able to grab her by her hair. Without a second thought, Sakura drew another kunai and cut her hair to free herself. Sakura pulled out shuriken and threw them at Kabuto, along with her kunai, to create space between the two.

Kabuto looked at the clump of pink hair in his hand before carelessly casting it aside. "Resourceful. But did you really think a few childish traps would be enough for the likes of me?"

Kabuto started making their way towards Sakura. The girl stepped back slightly, she wasn't ready for a fight like this. She was extremely tired from staying up all night and mentally exhausted from everything she witnessed. Kabuto was never able to reach his target as three people jumped in front of him. Sakura was staring in shock at the three people she didn't expect to come to her rescue.

"Team Eight…why are you guys here?"

The brown-haired Inuzuka looked behind him and smirked. "I may not like those assholes over there, but we're comrades all the same. We don't let someone mess with one of our own."

Sakura fell to her knees in relief as tears formed in the corners of her eyes. "Thanks guys…you saved me."

"There is no need to thank us for coming to your aid. Why you ask? Because it's like Kiba said, we are comrades."

Hinata nodded. "K-Kiba and Shino are r-right. We're comrades Sakura."

Kabuto chuckled darkly, bringing the genin's attention back to him. "I'm normally all for the comradery and the bullshit that comes with it, but I'm on a bit of a time crunch. Can we move this along?"

Team Eight moved into fighting stances and charged at Kabuto.

 **-In Sasuke's mind-**

Sasuke wasn't exactly sure what was going on, but he was staring at a younger version of himself crying his young eyes out. He was about to reach out and say something but his younger self spoke first.

"If I was stronger back then…I could've saved mother and father…their deaths are my fault. I'll never achieve my goals if I don't get stronger…"

Sasuke didn't know what to do or even say, he couldn't look away from his younger version. The younger Sasuke raised his arm to wipe away his tears but instead pealed half his face off, revealing the familiar snake eyes of a certain Sannin.

"Your whole clan is dead because you weren't strong enough! You let them die! You couldn't stop Itachi then and never will be able to!"

The only thing Sasuke could feel was an unrivaled and untapped rage building up inside of him, and it continued to grow stronger by each passing second.

 **-With Team Ten-**

Shikamaru and Chōji had been following a determined Ino for the past hour. The Nara boy hadn't been paying much attention while Chōji was looking everywhere for something to eat.

"Out of all the teams I could've been put on…Sakura is probably laughing her way to the finish of this test. She doesn't even have to do anything! Sasuke and Naruto will do all the fighting for her!"

Chōji made his way over to a nearby bush, hoping to find some berries, while his teammate bickered and watched a fight he wasn't expecting to see.

"Actually Ino, Sakura is fighting with Kiba and his team. Naruto and Sasuke are unconscious."

Ino and Shikamaru's eyes widened considerably as they rushed over to where Choji was standing. Ino couldn't help but stare in complete disbelief.

"What in the world happened?"

 **-With Sakura and Team Eight-**

Kabuto had the four genin on the ropes, he was stronger than what his genin rank had suggested. He handled Team Eight's joint attacks like it was nothing and countered everything they threw at him.

Kiba growled in frustration. "Damn it! Who the hell is guy?!"

"It's safe to say we are dealing with someone who is beyond genin level. Why you ask? Because he was able to counter to every single one of our attacks."

Hinata held her mid-section, kneeling next to Sakura, as she nursed the pain from the hit to her stomach. "W-We aren't strong enough to beat him."

"I would've hoped that was fairly obvious."

Team Eight wasn't sure how they were going to deal with Kabuto, he was unlike any opponent they had ever faced before. He was faster, more knowledgeable, and just straight up stronger than all three of them combined.

Unbeknownst to everyone, Sasuke's seal on his neck began to emit steam as he groaned.

Kabuto charged at the trio, planning to end this battle once for all. But he was stopped mid sprint, all movements instantly stopped. He tried to move but something had a very strong grip on him.

" _Kagemane no Jutsu:_ successful." (Shadow Possession Jutsu)

Shikamaru walked out of his position in the brush, Kabuto mimicking his every movement. Ino and Chōji ran to Team Eight's side and stood in their battle stances.

"Ino..?"

"I told you, Forehead, I'm not going to lose to you."

 **-Inside Naruto's mind-**

" **Do you feel that? That rise in chakra."**

Naruto looked up to the ceiling and closed his eyes to concentrate harder. It wasn't as easy for the blonde to sense what the fox was but he was able to after a few moments. "Yeah, and it's strong."

" **It's the same chakra that I'm currently resisting. It's from that seal the Sannin gave you with that bite."**

"It's gotta be Sasuke…I need to wake up now, Kyuubi. He has the same mark on his neck."

" **I put you into this coma like state to help speed up your healing and figure out a way to deal with this seal. I wake you up now and none of your injuries will be healed and that pain from the seal will return, tenfold. You'll be useless in a fight."**

Naruto stood to his full height and turned around to look at the beast in his one, giant, visible red eye. "Just do it Kyuubi. I have to make sure she's alright."

The Kyuubi let out a low, deep growl. **"Very well."**

 **-With Team Ten, Team Eight, and Sakura-**

Shikamaru's shadow binding hold didn't keep Kabuto trapped for very long. The Nara wasn't the greatest at maintaining the jutsu for very long, this was one of the few times he hated his crippling laziness.

Once free from Shikamaru's shadow, Kabuto began to decimate the Konoha genin once more. He was toying with them, letting them believe they had the advantage only to counter the attack and rip that hope away.

Kabuto chuckled as he pushed up his glasses. "Honestly, this is the most fun I've had in a long time. I don't get out much so I'm really enjoying this entertainment."

Kiba was barely able to stand but pushed through the pain to charge at the man once more. He threw a drastic punch that would be easy for a toddler to dodge. Kabuto side stepped the pathetic attack and kneed the Inuzuka in the stomach and chopped the back of his neck, effectively knocking him out.

"K-Kiba!" Hinata cried.

"As fun as this might be, I am here for Sakura and Naruto. So, if you would all, please step aside?"

The genin were completely tapped for chakra, hit with the right attacks so standing to fight was difficult, and none of them had any idea on how to beat this guy. Even Shikamaru was at a loss, and that _never_ happened.

Kabuto walked towards Naruto but stopped when he saw the boy next to him rise.

Sakura's eyes widened when she heard movement coming from directly behind her. Sakura grinned from ear to ear as she turned around to face her teammate.

"Sasuke! I'm so glad you're- "

The pinkette's eyes widened in shock and fear as she stared at Sasuke, who was radiating a large amount of energy. So much so that a purple aura swirled around him and the left side of his body was covered in a design that looked like black flames.

"Who hurt you, Sakura?"

Sasuke walked past Sakura and the others towards Kabuto, who was watching Sasuke curiously.

"Sasuke your body…"

Sasuke stopped for a second and looked down at his left arm and watched the black markings spread down his arm. It also spread up his neck and onto his face. "You don't have to worry Sakura…not only do I feel an overwhelming power coursing through me…my body feels absolutely great. I understand what he did…I'm an avenger. It all makes sense."

'And even if I have to hand deliver my soul to the devil to get stronger, I'll gladly accept that deal if it helps me achieve my goals.'

Sasuke glared deeply at Kabuto. "Are you the one who hurt Sakura?"

"Oh yeah, it was me." Kabuto had a certain look in his eyes that personified crazy. "I've always wanted to fight someone with the curse mark, Lord Orochimaru never let me test the subjects myself only observe."

Sasuke was instantly in front of Kabuto with his fist aimed for his face, but the elder genin was able to block it. Kabuto stared into the Sharingan. "Fascinating. Two tomoe in each eye already. I never would have imagined the curse mark would the cause the Sharingan to advance this quick."

"You work for Orochimaru?"

"Not really, Orochimaru is my teacher."

Kabuto was suddenly blown back by another punch from Sasuke by his other hand, the attack sent him flying into a nearby tree. Sasuke could easily tell that Kabuto wasn't going to be beaten by a single hit just by the way he was able to position himself before he hit the tree.

All the genin stared in complete shock to what they were witnessing, especially Sakura. The power she was feeling from Sasuke had a similar feeling to what she felt from Naruto on the bridge in the Land of Waves.

Sasuke went through a quick series of hand signs. _"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

A giant ball of fire erupted from Sasuke's mouth and shot towards Kabuto. The fireball consumed the vegetation all around the man, leaving no room for doubt that he survived. Sasuke smiled wickedly triumphant as he stared at the flames.

"Hmph. Was that all?"

"Oh no Sasuke, we've just started."

Sasuke was quick to react but not quick enough to completely block Kabuto's kunai. The kunai was caught but by the palm of Sasuke's hand. Kabuto swung his fist but Sasuke read Kabuto's movements, due to his Sharingan, and dodge the strike. Sasuke used the small opening and sent quick, single handed strikes to Kabuto's ribs.

The two broke off from each other and smirked, this really was the beginning. They charged and engaged each other once more. The fight was fast paced, jumping from tree branches to back down in the clearing. Dancing all around the genin, who were having trouble keeping up with the battle.

Sasuke slid back towards Sakura, Kabuto landed on the far side of the clearing. He had a look of fascination plastered on his face. 'This is far beyond my expectations! Not only is the Sharingan advancing rapidly, his physical strength and pure reaction time are off the charts. I think it would be safe to say Sasuke could easily fight on par with his teammate now, even without the seal's 'enhancements'. I guess Lord Orochimaru designed the seal to work specifically for Sasuke. That explains why those test subjects never made it past the trials.'

Sasuke lifted his arms, realizing the black markings had covered his left arm completely and were slowly spreading down his right arm now. He figured his entire face was covered and most of his chest too, but that hardly mattered. Sasuke was, now, willingly to go through an entire transformation if it meant getting stronger.

"What did you call this thing that Orochimaru gave me?"

Kabuto smirked. "Heaven's Curse Mark. I'll tell him you like the gift." Kabuto slowly backed away into the forest.

"You think we're done? I thought we were just getting started!"

"Our time will come Sasuke, everything will fall into place soon enough. But, for now, show me that Lord Orochimaru didn't waste his creation." The grey-haired man pointed beyond Sasuke and disappeared into the shadows of the forest. Unbeknownst to any of the genin, Kabuto placed something just past some brush.

Sasuke turned to see where Kabuto was pointed and saw Naruto struggling to stand. His legs wobbled as he stepped and he clutched the very same seal on his neck.

"Naruto…" Sakura whispered as her blonde teammate stumbled past her.

"…What's gotten…into you…Sasuke?"

Sasuke chuckled darkly. "Power, Naruto. I finally have the power to achieve my goals. I can see it, clear as day, Itachi will lay dead at my feet!"

Naruto collapsed to one knee and held his midsection. "Whatever Orochimaru did to you, Sasuke, it's clouding your mind. You need to stop. _Now._ Before somebody gets hurt."

Sasuke's wicked smirk still hadn't faded. "Or what? You going to stop me? You can barely stand and, by the way you're clutching your neck like that, my bet is that he bit you like he did me. But I guess you aren't as accepting of this power as I am."

"You have no idea what this power will do to you. You need to calm down and think clearly."

"I am thinking clearly! This is the clearest I've ever been!"

It came clear to Naruto that reason wasn't going to work, he was going have to beat the power craze out of Sasuke. Naruto slowly rose to his feet and stood in a shaky fighting stance.

Sasuke chuckled darkly again. "I'm glad you see like that, Naruto. Because I've been waiting a long time for this."

Sakura watched in horror as her two teammates began to run at one another, her fear only increased when Sasuke completely floored Naruto with one single punch. Naruto, who was still dealing with his injuries from his bout with Orochimaru, did what he could to stand back up but was met by Sasuke's fist again when finally made it back to his feet. This time, however, Naruto did not fall.

The two exchanged blows but it was not hard for the group of genin to see Naruto was clearly outmatched. Even if the blonde was lucky enough to land a strike, Sasuke was able to hit Naruto two or three times more because Naruto left himself open.

Sakura couldn't tear her eyes away, no matter how badly she wanted to. Her heart was beating a mile a minute and tears formed in the corners of her jade green eyes. "Please…stop it."

Naruto fell flat on his back after Sasuke's latest vigorous strike to his midsection. There was blood dripping out of cuts in his face and out of his mouth as well. The boy was already injured from his bout with Orochimaru, Sasuke felt like he was just beating a dead horse at this point.

"C'mon Naruto, is that really all you got? I know Orochimaru fucked you up but seriously? This is all you've got against me? Oh, how the mighty have fallen."

Sasuke grabbed Naruto buy his throat and held him off the ground. Naruto barely struggled against the grip, he could hardly breath as it was. He prayed for that healing factor to kick in.

Sakura couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. Sasuke was about to kill Naruto.

"No…stop…please!"

Sasuke suddenly felt a pair of arms wrap around him. Sakura had run up the Uchiha, with tears streaming her face, and hugged him tightly from behind. "Please Sasuke…this isn't you…don't do this please."

Sasuke could feel the moisture on the back of his shirt and he seemed to grip his feelings back into control and let the rage inside him die. All the energy and power he previously had disappeared, his black markings and Sharingan followed suit. His grip on Naruto's throat loosened and the blonde fell to the ground. He breathed heavily and struggled to sit up. Sasuke fell back against Sakura in exhaustion as his pink-haired teammate helped him safely sit on the ground across from Naruto.

Sasuke and Naruto stared at each other, glaring into the other's eyes like they were reading the souls of one another. It was though something had changed between the two of them. Sakura seemed to be the only one to notice it. The way they looked at each other, it wasn't normal compared to before. There was fire behind their eyes that fueled each other's flame. Sakura wished she didn't see any of that, but knew deep down that she was right.

Naruto and Sasuke will fight again.

 **-That Night-**

Naruto silently trailed behind his two teammates as they stumbled their way towards the tower that was located in center of the Forest of Death. After everything went down with Kabuto, Team Seven regained their bearings and began to hunt for another team with the scroll they needed. Team Eight and Team Ten went their separate ways as well, knowing that they might not be able to take on Team Seven, despite them being utterly beaten down. Naruto stumbled away from everyone and tripped over something when he walked through some brush. It was an 'earth' scroll.

Naruto didn't question it, didn't even think about it. He grabbed the scroll, told his teammates, and all three made hast towards the tower.

It was a slow process, what with both Naruto and Sasuke being injured and Sakura still recovering from her bout with Kabuto. They simply walked on the forest floor and ignored everything that went one around them. Soon enough, the sun set for the day and night followed. Team Seven thought it best to find somewhere safe for the night to rest. A small cave like area was found not too far from their position.

Sakura, who was helping Sasuke along, entered the cave first, Naruto limped in shortly after. Sakura helped Sasuke sit down then went over and helped Naruto sit down near the entrance. He insisted that he'd be the one to watch the entrance while the other two rested. Sakura was going to argue but she knew it would get her nowhere. Naruto hadn't said a word since he found the scroll. She nodded and went back into the cave.

Once Naruto was sure he was the only one awake, he reached into his inner jacket pocket and pulled out a book. The very same book he found that changed everything. He opened it and continued from where he left off.

"I never pegged you as much of a reader in your down time."

Sasuke slowly came up to Naruto and sat next to him.

" _Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi._ " Sasuke read the cover. "Good read?"

"Yeah, it's my favorite book."

Sasuke nodded. "Look Naruto, I want to say-"

"Don't say anything Sasuke. What's done is done."

"I damn near killed you, dobe."

"Yeah, well…you wouldn't be the first."

Sasuke stared at his blonde teammate. "What the hell happened to you, man? How are you okay with me nearly killing you today?"

Naruto moved his thumb over the cover of the book, over the title. "I found this book by accident when I was five. It was behind a shelf I was cleaning for my chores before I could go out and train. I was never supposed to read it, that's why it was hidden, but I did anyway. It's a master piece, life changing really if you think about the message it sends."

"I never knew my parents, Sasuke. As far as I know, I'm not even sure 'Naruto' is my real name. But that's all I've ever been called. The main character's name, in this story, is _Naruto_."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow in confusion. "You were named after a story book character?"

Naruto shrugged. "Maybe, nobody's ever really told me. Like I said, I was never supposed to find this book. Everything changed after I did. It wasn't too long after when I was left in the village."

Sasuke wasn't seeing the whole picture. "What's this have to do with me almost snapping your neck today?"

"I barely know who I am Sasuke. How can I be bothered by death when I'm not sure _Naruto_ be the one dying? For all I know _Naruto_ isn't me, it's somebody else. Something else. I used to think about that a lot when I was growing up, wondering who I really was. Why I was lied to. Even now, I still have trouble with it sometimes. I know what I am to the village but I don't know what I am too myself."

Sasuke was, quite honestly, utterly lost. The more he listened to Naruto's past and his personal feelings the more he realized Naruto was just as messed up as himself, possibly more so. He was traumatized by one single night, it sounded like Naruto had multiple traumatizing events in his life.

"I found my entire clan murdered. I have nightmares every night of them being killed. By that **monster** , Itachi. I know exactly who I am. I'm the who is going to kill him."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke out of the corner of his eye, seeing the drive behind his eyes.

"I'm sure you will, Sasuke. I'm sure you will."


	12. Chapter 12

Team Seven reached the tower the following day. Surprisingly, they did not engage in any other battles, no other team bothered them. Sasuke and Sakura figured they just didn't cross paths with any other team, but Naruto could hear other teams approach them but quickly turn and head in another direction. It was as if they were off limits somehow, something turning them away.

Once inside the tower, Team Seven was met by a consultant that led them to set of living quarters that they would be staying in until the rest of the test was complete. Meaning Team Seven had a few days of much needed rest ahead of them before the continuation of the rest of this stage of the Chunin Exams.

 **-The Following Day-**

Naruto sat on one of the green cots he and his teammates were provided to sleep on, his teammates were elsewhere. Frankly, Naruto was happy for the silence. He didn't have to hear Sakura's constant fangirling over Sasuke, which had dwindled, and he could think about recent events peacefully.

Naruto was both impressed and disappointed in himself over his performance over the course of the second stage. His fight with Orochimaru really gave him a good idea how strong he was and what he needed work on. From dropping all his weight to actually using his trump card, summoning Fukasaku, there was a lot to go over for Naruto. Honestly, Naruto was happy how that fight went. He knew going into the fight it wasn't winnable, in the sense of beating Orochimaru at full power, but he still considered it a win for what it was.

But the fact Naruto wasn't strong enough from stopping Orochimaru from giving him this curse mark was really bothering him. He was able to study the mark much more closely and came to the conclusion that his mark wasn't fully developed like Sasuke's. Naruto's mark only had one tomoe while Sasuke had three. Naruto figured that was a good thing.

There was a knock at the door. He looked at the door in confusion, wondering who come to see him. He was surprised to see his sensei open the door and walk in.

"Kakashi sensei? What are you doing here?"

The grey-haired jōnin sat down on the cot across from Naruto. "I came to congratulate you three on passing the first two stages, but I'm glad I caught you alone. I've been meaning to talk to you, Naruto. There's few things we need to discuss."

The blonde raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Like what?"

"Well, for starters, I want you to tell me what happened with Orochimaru."

Naruto's eyes went wide with shock. "You know about Orochimaru?!"

The jōnin nodded. "Yes, I do. The proctor felt something was off during the test and went to investigate. Anko ran into Orochimaru trying to escape. She wasn't able to stop him but she did manage to raise the alarm."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "But how did you know we ran into him?"

"That part I inferred by your injuries and Anko's description of Orochimaru's state when she found him. He had just finished up a fight that gave him a bit of trouble. You were the only one I could think of that could give him a run for his money in the limited state he was in."

Naruto felt a sense of pride. "Thank you sensei."

"You three did very to handle that situation. I'm very proud of you. But I still want to hear your version."

Naruto nodded and proceeded to give Kakashi the details of the previous days.

 **-With Sakura and Sasuke-**

The other two members of Team Seven sat in the small cafeteria. The two genin each had a small plate of food in front of them as they ate in silence. Sasuke was just glad for something to eat and Sakura, while she was happy to be eating, was happy to be spending time alone with her crush.

Sakura decided to break the silence. "How are you feeling Sasuke?"

The black-haired Uchiha didn't take his eyes off his food. "I'm fine."

"Oh. Then how's your neck?"

Sasuke's head shot up and glared at Sakura. The sudden motion surprised Sakura. "You can't say anything about that Sakura."

"But Sasuke…"

"Sakura! I'm serious. You can't say a word to anyone. Understand?"

Sakura had never seen Sasuke so serious. He _really_ wanted to keep the mark on his neck a secret. She nodded slightly and stopped herself from saying anything more out of fear she would anger Sasuke more.

The door to the small lounge suddenly opened wide and the team of Sunagakure walked in. The two older siblings walked behind of the youngest, not because of convince but out of fear. Kankuro and Temari walked with uneasy steps behind Gaara. Despite doing what they could to hide their fear of the boy, Sasuke was able to pick up on their apprehensiveness. Not that the Uchiha blamed them for their fear, Gaara had the calmness and stare of a psychopath, two things Sasuke was very familiar with.

The trio walked by the Sasuke and Sakura, barely batting an eye at the two of them. But Sasuke could tell Gaara's full attention was solely on him. A fire was ignited inside of Sasuke, burning that fueled his love to fight into new heights.

'That guy…I can't wait to fight him!'

 **-With Naruto and Kakashi-**

Kakashi moved Naruto's shirt out of the way to examine the curse mark better. "Hm. This is unlike any seal I've ever seen. You said Sasuke has the same mark?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah. His has three tomoe. My guess that, whatever Orochimaru did, was a one-time thing. I don't think he ever planned on giving it to me."

"From what you've told me, it seemed he was going after Sasuke specifically and wanted nothing to do with you. And Sakura, too. Does your mark give you any of the same effects as Sasuke's?"

Naruto shook his head. "No. It's only been extreme pain. The Kyuubi keeps most of it at bay. We've both been trying to figure this thing out but this thing's got us both stumped."

Kakashi's one visible eye went wide when he heard Naruto's words. The jōnin moved to Naruto's front. "Y-You can talk to the Kyuubi?"

Naruto nodded again, this time slightly. "Yeah. Until the start of the Chunin Exam, it had been two years since he said anything to me."

"Do you know what prompted the fox to talk?"

"That genin from Suna, Gaara of the Desert. The fox said he's a jinchuriki too."

Shock still filled Kakashi's covered features. "You're saying this Gaara has a beast sealed in him like you do?"

"Yeah. The One-Tailed Shukaku."

Kakashi rubbed his chin as he thought deeply about what Naruto told him. "Hm. Interesting. I knew Sunagakure had a jinchuriki but I never would have thought he'd come here without some type of protection."

"Protection?"

"Like his sensei or a bodyguard of sorts, someone along those lines."

Naruto nodded in understanding. Something like that made sense to him. "So is that why the famed 'Copy Cat' shinobi, one of the strongest ninjas in the village, was placed as my jōnin leader? For protection?"

Kakashi gave one of his classic eye smiles. "Not much slips passed you, Naruto. Lord Hokage wanted me to oversee you and Sasuke."

"Sasuke? For his Sharingan I'm guessing."

Kakashi nodded. "Yes, though that decision was made by the council of clan leaders. They wanted for Sasuke's Sharingan to develop properly. I was the obvious choice to be his sensei. Lord Third wanted me be your sensei because I was, not only, skilled and experience enough to actually train you, but also for the Nine Tails as well. The Sharingan can keep the beast at bay if it ever tries to over take you, like what happened on the bridge in the Land of Waves."

Naruto nodded in understanding once more, recalling the events of that day. But something still didn't feel right about what happened. The Kyuubi had always been 'nicer' to him compared to what he's heard about the beast. He needed to consult the fox before asking anyone else on the matter. "That's smart, putting me and Sasuke on the same team is beneficial to both of us. The two strongest of the class training together makes total sense."

"Correct. But, even if you or Sasuke hadn't been so strong, you two would've ended up on the same team regardless. That choice had already been decided long before your graduation."

Naruto nodded in understanding. "Why are you telling me all this, Kakashi sensei?"

"The Kyuubi is actually the other reason I came to talk to you."

Naruto raised his eyebrow. "What about him?"

"I think it's time you told Sasuke and Sakura about the beast."

The blonde's eyes went wide and a nervous sweat slid down from his brow. "W-What…?

"I've fully understood your decision to keep your past a secret from them. I know what it's like to want to keep certain things about yourself hidden. But this is something that they will learn eventually. It would make much more of a difference if it came from you and not some stranger."

Naruto was silent as he thought deeply about this. He entertained the idea of telling them since the first day they had become a team but never decided to go through with the idea. "I've thought about telling them for awhile…and I do plan on it at some point. I just figured I'd keep the team together as long as I could."

Kakashi raised his only visible eyebrow. "Keep the team together? What do you mean?"

Naruto sighed. "People are not fond of me Kakashi sensei. They hate me. Despise me for merely walking on the same street as everyone else. Everywhere I go in this village, that hate and despair follows me. Most days, the stares don't bother me. But there are days those stares and endless taunting…hurt. A person can only endure so much hate before it weighs heavily on their mind. Being with Sakura and Sasuke help when those days are too much for me to bear. They may not know it, but Team Seven keeps me sane. I don't want them to leave me like… _he_ did. I don't know if I could go through that again…not with them."

Kakashi placed a hand on the young boy's shoulder. He could feel the pain in his voice, knowing it was from years of hate being thrown in his face. "Give them a chance Naruto. They are your teammates after all."

Naruto glanced up at the jōnin, knowing that he was right. "I guess you're right. I did promise to tell them more about me after we finished this part of the Chunin Exams."

Kakashi eye smiled. "That's really good to hear Naruto. But I'm afraid it's not quite over yet."

Naruto raised his eyebrow. "It isn't?"

Kakashi stood from his seat and turned for the door. "There's still one more stage before the third stage. But you'll learn in a few days' time about that. For now, just rest up and let me know if anything changes with that mark of yours. And keep an eye on Sasuke's too. I'll go do some digging on this Kabuto guy and see what comes up. There has to be something more going on here than just Orochimaru showing up if he has spies inside the village."

Naruto nodded and smiled. "You got it Kakashi sensei!"

 **-A few days later-**

Team Seven were now standing in the main hall of the tower. It was a large room with a giant statue of a set of hands holding the hand seal meaning 'ram' and two walk ways that provided a great view over an open area. According what they were told when they were woken up this morning, too many teams had passed the second stage and now there would be a set of randomly selected one-on-one matches to determine who would go on to the third and final stage.

Naruto looked around the arena and saw all the teams that had made it. Team Ten was probably the team that surprised him the most. Team Eight had survived the forest, along with that team from the year before. The team of Rock Lee, Neji Hyuuga, and Tenten had arrived at the tower within hours before Team Seven on the day they arrived. And that Suna team broke the record for the fastest time through the test: 97 minutes. There were a few other teams that passed the test that he didn't recognize from other villages.

The rules of these randomly selected matches were laid to all teams beforehand by the proctor, Hayate Gekkō, and the names of all participants scrambled on a screen in the corner of the room. The first two names that came on screen: Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kiba Inuzuka.

"Alright!" Naruto yelled enthusiastically as he vaulted himself over the railing and down to the open area. He landed with a crouch and let out a small grunt of pain. His shoulder/neck area was still in pain from that curse mark. He was able to handle the pain but it was bothering him to where he couldn't simply ignore it. If this turned into a prolonged fight then it would be problematic for the spikey haired blonde.

Kiba, with Akamaru firmly attached to his hooded head, followed in similar fashioned. "This worked out better than I hoped. Looks like I'll be the one to beat that cockiness out of you!"

Naruto let loose a playful smirk. "C'mon Kiba, we all know your bark is worse than your bite."

Hayate looked at both participants before throwing his hand downward. "Begin!" Then he jumped away.

Kiba immediately made a hand seal. _"Shikyaku no Jutsu!"_ (Beast Mimicry: Four Legs Technique) The brown-haired boy placed his hands on the ground and stood on all four limbs as a thin mist of chakra appeared around him, his fingernails grew to sharp points. Naruto compared this stance to a wild animal, true to the jutsu's name.

Up on the stands, Kurenai Yūhi, smirked when she saw her student use one of his strongest techniques. 'This Naruto kid may be strong but he's got nothing Kiba. Kiba's senses will be heightened enough to dodge most of Naruto's attacks.'

Naruto waited for Kiba to charge but was surprised when he stayed in his current position. "What? Too scared to attack?"

Kiba smiled, showing off his sharp canine teeth. "I'm not stupid, Naruto. I know how strong you are. That's why I'm going all out from the start!" He reached into his back pouch and pulled out two small red balls. He threw one in Akamaru's mouth along with his own. The ninja hound's fur turned from white to red and Kiba's features turned even more feral.

Kiba then held one more hand sign. _"J_ _ū_ _jin Bunshin!"_ (Man Beast Clone) Akamaru burst into a cloud of smoke and appeared as a direct copy of his master, crouched atop of him.

"What did he just eat?!" Sakura questioned out loud.

"A solider pill. It's special medicine that is said to allow a solider to fight for three days and nights without resting. It's full of protein and contains a special stimulant that momentarily increases the user's chakra." Choji explained flawlessly.

Team Ten's sensei, Asuma Sarutobi, nodded. "Kiba's releasing his chakra and attacking like a wild beast. It's the perfect pill for him."

"Is that even legal?" Ino asked.

"It's considered a ninja tool, it's fair game."

Naruto held his stance as the two feral Kiba's charged towards him. The blonde fought off the two beasts but he was still cut a few times from his sharpened claw-like fingernails. He credited those hits to his pain from the curse mark limiting him. Naruto attempted to disengage himself from the pair but he misjudged their ferociousness as they continued to slash at him.

'Damn it! The fricken' pain from this stupid curse mark is limiting my reaction time.'

Kiba watched his opponent and noticed his slow moments. 'An opening!'

Kiba and Akamaru, still transformed, began to spin with ferocious speed in the air. "Take this! Man-Beast Taijutsu: Fang over Fang!"

The two human drills rammed against Naruto on both sides of him, dealing a powerful blow. Everyone was shocked as Naruto fell to the ground with a thud, blood seeping out his wounds. Both Sakura and Sasuke were shocked, they had never seen Naruto get hit like that before. Kakashi was mildly surprised as well. Kurenai smiled proudly, believing the match was over and her student the victor.

Asuma rubbed his chin-strap beard and fiddled with the lit cigarette in his mouth. "I guess Naruto isn't like what you've bragged about, eh Kakashi?"

Kakashi looked to his fellow jōnin with a knowing look in his eye. "Asuma, if there is one thing I've learned from being Naruto's teacher is that he is full of surprises."

"Get up Naruto!" Sakura yelled, leaning over the railing. Sasuke, too, was leaning slightly forward in interest.

"That's the difference between us Naruto. You think you're so much stronger that you get complacent and don't train to your fullest. You'll never get any stronger, not like me and Akamaru!"

Naruto pushed himself up off the ground and he sat on his knees, he kept his head down and his eyes hidden. Earning a shocked and confused look from his Inuzuka opponent. "Stronger…I will become stronger…to prove everyone…in this village…they were wrong!"

Naruto shot to his feet and closed the distance between him and Kiba. He landed heavy punches to them both, knocking them back greatly. Naruto saw the opening and grabbed one of the Kibas and headbutted him. Then grabbed ahold of him, lifted him up, and slammed him to the ground. _Hard_. The Kiba he slammed burst into a cloud of smoke and Akamaru laid on the ground.

"Akamaru!" Kiba screamed. "Don't hurt him!"

Naruto looked down at the dog then back at Kiba and smiled. The Inuzuka got a horrible feeling in his stomach when he saw this. Naruto gently picked up the hurt dog and cradled him his arms. Kiba, and everyone else for that matter, was scared the blonde might do something to the dog but was pleasantly surprised when he jumped up to the walkway above them and handed the dog off to Hinata, knowing the girl was Kiba's teammate. He gave a simple nod and small smile to heavily flushed girl.

Naruto jumped back down and refocused his attention to the Inuzuka boy, regaining his fighting stance. "Let's go wild, dog breath."

Kiba was wide eyed, he honestly didn't expect that. Was this really the Naruto he knew? The asshole that didn't give a crap about anything or anyone but himself? Maybe he had been wrong all along. Kiba smirked and got in his own stance. "Let's go, fox boy."

The two exchanged strikes once more and moved all over the area, dodging and striking each other. Naruto was able to land a kick that threw Kiba up in the air. The blonde jumped up to the railing of the walkway and used the railing as a springboard to jump higher than Kiba was currently at. High above Kiba, Naruto crossed his fingers into a hand seal and four clones appeared around him.

The first clone fell towards Kiba struck him midair. "NA- "

The second clone followed suit. "RU- "

And the third clone landed a third hit that hurled Kiba into the concrete floor. "TO-

Then the original Naruto was thrown with great strength by the fourth clone towards Kiba and landed on Kiba's stomach with his knee. "UZUMAKI BARRAGE!"

When the dust cleared only Naruto stood tall while Kiba laid in a hep on the ground. Hayate jumped in and checked on Kiba's condition. He signaled for the medical team. "The winner is Naruto Uzumaki!"

"Hell yeah! Great job Naruto!" Sakura cheered. Sasuke smirked in triumph while Kakashi gave an eye smile towards Asuma.

Naruto made his way up to his team and was greeted with a cheerful Sakura, a respectful nod from Kakashi, and fist bump from Sasuke. The victory was short lived because the screen began to flash names again until it stopped on the next to participants.

"The second match will be Sakura Haruno vs. Ino Yamanaka." Hayate stated.

Sakura let out a shaky breath. A part of her was somewhat relieved that she was going up against someone she knew, but that was where her worry came in. Ino was her best friend. She didn't want to do anything that would hurt their friendship, despite being rivals in everything.

Ino was having similar thoughts to that of her pink-haired best friend. Despite being rivals and always competing, Ino cherished her friendship with Sakura and loved her like a sister. The two kunoichi looked at each other, slight worry in their eyes. Together, Sakura and Ino went down to the arena and faced each other.

Hayate looked at the two and signaled for the match to begin. "Begin!" Then he jumped away.

Ino crossed her arms and looked at her opponent. "I must say Forehead, I'm kind of glad we were chosen to fight each other."

Sakura raised her eyebrow. "What do you mean, pig?"

"I finally get to prove that I'm better than you. That's all. And I'll be the one to win Sasuke over." Ino stuck out her tongue to mock Sakura.

Sakura's eyebrow twitched in frustration. She raised her fist and shook it Ino. "There's no way I'll lose to you!"

The two kunoichi began their fight with a taijutsu bout. Though one thing was very apparent, Ino and Sakura were lacking in their taijutsu and their style of taijutsu mirrored each other. More often than not during their engagement, their strikes collide with one another.

Ino was able to get the upper hand by a punch to the stomach that knocked the wind out of Sakura, giving Ino an opening. She reared her arm back and shot her fist forward. Suddenly, Ino saw Sakura as her younger self, sending her through an instantaneous flashback of memories of them growing up. Memories of Ino teaching Sakura about flowers, helping her pick her favorite kind of flower, standing up to the bullies that made fun of Sakura and her 'large' forehead, everything that made them the best of friends they were to this day. Her fist quickly changed to an open palm and she slapped Sakura.

Sakura looked at Ino in confusion as Ino, herself, looked at her hand with confused shock.

 **-Up in the watch area-**

"What's going on with those two?" Shikamaru questioned.

"I'm just as lost as you, Shikamaru." Choji added. "I've never seen Ino look so confused."

While most of the room was puzzled by the fight between the two kunoichi, Naruto leaned against the railing with a bit of worry. He had a feeling something might this would happen if Sakura were chosen to fight Ino. Knowing how close the two were, a fight between them would not be easy. And it seemed Ino realized this and tried to throw their friendship aside with those taunts earlier. Thus, making it easier for them both to fight. Ino looked to be having just as much of a hard time as Sakura.

'C'mon Sakura, you can do this!'

 **-With Sakura-**

'Ino, for so long I wanted to be like you because of what you said to me. The way you stood up for me and inspired me to get where I am today. If it weren't for you then I don't think I would've made it this far. But now, it's time I show you how much stronger I really am.'

Sakura untied her hitaiate from her hair and retied around her forehead, Ino instantly followed suit. Naruto smirked when he saw this. One of the ultimate shows of respect and acknowledgement in the ninja world.

Sakura charged at Ino and went through three hand seals. Three clones appeared next to her as she ran, then she held another hand seal. The pink-haired girl sent a wave of chakra to her feet for a burst of speed. Using that speed, Sakura used her clones as mere distractions to get Ino into the perfect position to hit. Ino was sent rolling back from the strike was up immediately and ran towards Sakura, who was still charging at her. They caught each other's attack then jumped back from each other, both reaching for a shuriken to throw. Only for the tools to collide midair.

They charged at each other once more and hit each other square in the jaw, sending them both tumbling backwards.

Ino was thoroughly shocked. "When did you get this strong, Sakura?! How can you be so evenly matched with me?"

"Your obsession with your hair and your looks can never be surpassed, Ino. Sasuke won't be impressed by that. I've been training too hard to worry about that stuff."

Ino snarled. Out of a fit of frustration, she pulled out a kunai and cut her hair that was tied up in a long ponytail. Causing a wave of shock throughout the arena. "See?! I don't need this! You'll pay for mocking me!"

Ino held a hand sign. "I'm gonna end this now!" Then threw her hands forward in the shape of a circle.

Sakura knew this technique all too well. "Your clan's secret jutsu, _shintenshin no jutsu."_ (Mind Body Transfer technique)

 **-In the observing area-**

"Oh dear, Sakura might be in some trouble if Ino's jutsu hits." Kakashi stated.

Rock Lee, who was standing nearby and watching this match with great interest, had his interest peaked when he heard the jōnin speak. "What is this technique that is so dangerous, Kakashi sensei?"

"The Mind Transfer technique sends their spiritual energy into their target's body, basically the user takes over their target's body by switching their minds. There are major drawbacks to this jutsu, Ino's body will be left defenseless while using this technique. Furthermore, any injury that takes place to the target's body while controlled will reflect on the user as well. It's a very strong technique but a double-edged sword nonetheless."

Maito Gai, who was practically the grown-up version of his student, nodded in agreement with his eternal rival. "Kakashi is right. Sakura will be in trouble if this jutsu is a success."

"All so ye of little faith."

Everyone's attention towards Naruto.

"You all seem more afraid of this technique than Sakura. She's gonna surprise you all, I promise you that."

 **-With Sakura-**

Sakura knew the positives and negatives of Ino's signature technique, she had to be nearly perfect with her dodge in order not to be caught in the technique. Or simply just not let Ino perform the jutsu. A straight attack wouldn't be smart, Ino would have a clear shot at Sakura if she came at her head on. She even briefly considered using her offensive medical ninjutsu attacks she learned from Naruto's scroll, but she quickly threw that idea out the window. She was still trying to learn them and she didn't want to accidently hurt Ino more than she needed to. A diversion could work but Ino could see through it if not done properly, Sakura didn't feel like she had the right amount of time to set up a good distraction. Then it dawned on Sakura.

'Then I'll make the time!'

Sakura reached into her weapons pouch and pulled out a small paper ball. She threw it down directly in front of her and a large cloud of smoke suddenly appeared, causing Sakura to disappear completely.

'No need to worry, this is just a diversion.' Ino realized. All she needed to do is wait for Sakura to appear and then she'd use her jutsu.

Ino didn't have to wait long because Sakura jumped out of the smoke cloud and into the air. The platinum blonde saw this and realized it was her chance, knowing it was practically impossible to dodge something midair. _"Shintenshin no Jutsu!"_

Ino's body suddenly went limp and fell to the ground. Sakura instantly grasped as she too fell to the ground. She landed on her feet and kept her head down. The pink-haired kunoichi raised her head but immediately something felt off, like the girl wasn't herself. The jutsu was a success, Ino had successfully taken over Sakura's body.

"How unfortunate…you're done…Sakura."

'Nice try Sakura but you're nothing compared to my mind transfer technique. Maybe you should train harder because certainly your looks could use the same treatment. It's only a matter of time Sasuke realizes which one of us is his real love.'

Ino controlled Sakura's movements and commanded her to raise her hand. She smiled wickedly as she looked at the proctor. "Now I, Sakura Haruno, would like to say that I- "

"Think again Ino-pig!"

The Ino controlled Sakura gasped in shock as she turned around in surprise. The smoke cloud had finally dissipated and it revealed the real Sakura standing there, completely under her own control.

"What the hell is going on?!"

The real Sakura smirked. "You really think I'm that stupid Ino? I would never let you take over my body like that. But now, I guess it's time to end this battle. Release!"

Suddenly, the Sakura Ino had been controlling disappeared. But it wasn't like a clone, which usually disappeared in a plume of white smoke, it just faded away into nothing, like an illusion. All that was left was the real Sakura and the unconscious Ino.

Hayate came in and raised his hand up, signaling the match over. "Winner: Sakura Haruno!"

 **-In the observing area-**

Choji was completely lost. "I don't understand. What happened? How did Ino lose? I thought her jutsu was successful?"

"Sakura used that smoke cloud as a distraction to create a clone to fool Ino in using her jutsu." Shikamaru deduced.

Naruto held a proud smile. "Actually, that wasn't a typical clone. Sakura isn't as strong with the clone jutsu as me or even Sasuke, but she trumps us both in genjutsu."

Asuma looked at the blonde boy shock. "That was a genjutsu?"

"A genjutsu clone, to be exact." Sakura stated, finally have making it up to the walkaway. "I projected an image of myself to fool Ino in thinking that she had succeed in her jutsu."

"A genjutsu clone? Isn't that like a B-Rank technique?" Shikamaru questioned.

Sakura didn't respond but simply smiled proudly. Naruto reached over and patted Sakura on the shoulder.

"Great job Sakura! I knew you could do!"

Sakura's smile became even brighter when she heard Naruto's praise. Sasuke came up next to her and the sudden movement caused Sakura to look at the Uchiha. There was a look of approval adorning his features.

"You did well."

Sakura's face turned beet red as she struggled to mutter any sort of a thanks for the words. She fiddled with her fingers nervously. Naruto noticed this and turned away from the scene, something that did not go unnoticed by Rock Lee and his teammate, Neji Hyuuga.

As per usual, the victory celebration was cut short when the screen began to flash names rapidly until it finally stopped on the next two fighters…

"The third match: Neji Hyūga vs. Hinata Hyūga!"

Hinata was visibly shaken, her opponent was her very own cousin. The one person she _never_ wanted to fight. It was very easy to see that Hinata was scared out of her mind. Regardless, the fearful girl made her way down to the arena where Neji was already standing.

"I never thought I'd be facing you, Lady Hinata."

Hinata fiddled with her fingers nervously as she kept her eyes averted from Neji's.

"Before we begin this fight, I'd like to say something, Lady Hinata. Forfeit now. You are not a good shinobi and are not strong enough to challenge me. You wish to avoid conflict and wish for harmony. You never stand up to others and have no self confidence in your abilities. I thought it would be best if you did not take the Chunin Exams. But the exams can only be taken in teams of three and you did not want to deny your teammates chances of being promoted and unwillingly entered. Am I wrong?"

"N…No..I wanted…to change myself…do it…myself."

Neji closed his eyes and shook his head. "I've always thought of you as the spoiled brat of the Main House, Lady Hinata. People cannot change themselves. Losers will always be losers, nothing can change what they were born into. Expressions such as elite and loser are created with the differences we are born in. Looks, brains, personality, size are all unchangeable factors that we are judged by. Forever to be discriminated against and suffer. Just like the fact I am from the Branch House and you are from the Main House cannot be changed. I've seen through many things with my Byakugan. I know you're just acting strong, deep down you want to run far away from here."

"N-No…really…I…" Hinata's stuttered words died in her throat when she saw Neji's eyes.

The veins around Neji's eyes became visible and bulged greatly. His usual featureless eyes became more tuned as his pupils became more distinctive. Hinata could no longer muster up any courage to speak.

"You just moved your eyes to the upper left. That's a sign you are remembering something from your past. Your painful past. Then you looked to your lower right, a sign for thinking of physical and mental pain. Basically, you are thinking everything that'll happen to you when you lose this match. You've realized the reality that you cannot win this match nor change your fate. From the day we are born, fate decides- "

"Hey asshole!"

All eyes went to the sound of the loud, booming voice that echoed throughout the room. Naruto was gripping the railing to hard that it bent from his grip.

"How about you stop deciding who people are and what they can be before they can even decide! You don't know anything about fate!"

"N-Naruto…" Hinata said in amazement. Something flipped inside Hinata's brain and her fear was no limiting her. In fact, it was starting to motivate her.

Neji glared at the blonde, his dōjutsu flaring from his anger. "I don't know anything about fate? Listen here you annoying- " The Hyūga boy had to stop his sentence to counter Hinata's sudden attack. He quickly misdirected her attack to miss him completely.

Hinata stared at her cousin with her own Byakugan activated, holding the taijutsu stance of her clan. "Brother Neji…we fight."

Neji moved into the same fighting stance. "Fine."

 **-Observing area-**

"Hinata's entire demeanor has changed. She's ready to fight now." Kurenai said with a soft, proud smile.

Gai nodded in agreement. "Yes, your student is ready. But I don't believe she is prepared to face Neji."

"What do you mean?" Sakura questioned, she was amazed at the rate her and Neji were exchanging blows. "Hinata's holding her own against him."

"For now." Lee spoke up. "Right now, they are using the strongest taijutsu style in the Leaf. This what makes the Hyūga clan so great. The Gentle Fist."

"What's the Gentle Fist?"

"The Hyūga clan's secret taijutsu. It targets their opponent's chakra points and damages their chakra flow and inner organs. Even a small hit can be fatal." Gai answered. "It may not look like anything but you will feel the damage afterwards."

"How can they do that?" Choji asked.

Naruto was the one to answer, never taking his eyes off the battle. "They have the Byakugan. They can see everything."

Kakashi nodded. "The Byakugan is one of the advanced bloodline abilities that is passed down the Hyūga clan. It's said the Sharingan and the origins of the Uchiha lie with the Hyūga. It's an eye ability similar to the Sharingan but the Byakugan surpasses it when it comes to sight."

 **-With Hinata and Neji-**

Hinata went in for a critical blow, hoping to end this battle and prove to Neji he was wrong. But her hope was destroyed when she felt Neji remove his hand from her abdomen, he had just palm struck her heart and all the surrounding organs. Blood fell from her mouth as she clutched her upper body, Hinata stumbled back and collapsed to her knees.

"Lady Hinata, this is the difference between us. The difference between an elite and a loser. Forfeit before this ends bad for you."

Hinata struggled back to her feet, clutching her bleeding organs. "N-No…I'm not…backing down. Not…to you."

Neji shook his head once more, it was no longer in his hands. The girl had made the choice she was fated to make. The Hyūga genius charged at the beaten Hinata. But his strike was stopped a mere two inches away from the girl by four of the jōnin in the room. Kakashi, Gai, Kurenai, and Hayate all placed a hand on Neji before he could kill Hinata.

"Winner: Neji Hyūga." Hayate announced.

The jōnin went back to their respective places and Hinata was helped by the medical team out the arena. Naruto watched Hinata practically get carried out the hall, he couldn't help feel bad and proud for the girl. She overcame her fear and fought her absolute heart out against an opponent well out of her league.

There was no shame in that.

 **-Several fights later-**

Both Naruto and Sakura considered themselves extremely lucky that they had already won their fights, they didn't have to worry about who their opponents could be. This really gave them an advantage to scout their possible opponents for the third stage of the exam.

Naruto wasn't particularly worried about anyone who he could chosen to fight against, he knew he was strong and prepared enough to handle anyone. But watching Neji utterly destroy his very determined cousin, Hinata, did give the blonde some insight to the Hyuuga's abilities. The Hyuuga clan's taijutsu style was very accurate and even more lethal. Using the Byakugan, Neji targeted his cousin's chakra points and disabled her chakra with perfect strikes. Hitting chakra points wasn't even the worst, poor Hinata was almost killed by a palm strike to her heart.

And Gaara was able to win his match without sustaining a single hit, that sand of ultimate defense of his is really something. The speed of which the sand was able to surround Gaara really showed how amazing his control of the sand was. The showing made Naruto question if the sand had a mind of it's own.

Shikamaru really proved himself as the master strategist when he fought that girl from Otogakure. He did so much preparation and distraction just to catch her in his shadow paralyzing technique and make her hit her head on the wall. Naruto thought it fit well. Shikamaru's teammate on the other hand didn't prove much, Choji's match was a double knockout. And despite a very impressive showing by Tenten, Temari and her huge fan blew all the ninja tools away.

There were only four fighters left to compete.

"The next match will be Rock Lee vs. Kankurō." Hayate called out when the screen finished its randomization. "That means the final match will be Sasuke Uchiha vs. Shino Aburame."

"Yoshi!" Lee cried out in extreme joy. He vaulted himself over the railing and landed gracefully in the arena. "Finally! A chance to showcase my skills!"

"Do your best Lee!" Gai screamed in like fashion as his student.

Kankurō was not happy with the selection of his opponent. He knew this guy was way too strong for him to beat without resorting to his puppet. He had orders to not use his puppet in a exam match so his strategies and abilities could be kept a secret until the invasion started. He, Gaara, and Temari were vital parts to the plan. They had their own orders and he had his own.

The boy with the purple markings on his face raised his hand. "Proctor, I forfeit the match!"

"Say what?!" Lee screamed

Hayate sighed. "Very well. Winner of the match by default: Rock Lee."

Lee's head immediately dropped and he slowly made his way back up to his team. His sensei was quick to the consult the boy.

"Do not fret my youthful student! I will train you so hard that you will blow away the competition in the third stage!" Gai gave his student a thumbs up.

Lee's attitude changed instantly and copied his sensei's 'youthful' gesture.

Kakashi had a sweat dropped from his brow as he looked on at his rival. 'Gai you are too much…'

"Then it's time for the final match. Will the final two participants make their way down to the arena so we can get this over with?" Hayate said.

"Finally." Sasuke sighed as he made his way down the stairs to the arena. Shino did so as well, keeping his hands in his pockets.

Once the two stood across from each other, Hayate signaled for the match to begin and jumped away.

Sasuke didn't waste any time and closed the distance between them, he sent a well-aimed kick to Shino's skull but Shino was able to block it completely with his forearm. Seeing an opening, Shino pushed Sasuke's kick aside and went in for a strike of his own. Sasuke had the opportunity to side step it then duck down to sweep his leg. Shino had the wherewithal to jump over and fall back to a safe distance.

Kakashi realized what his pupil was doing and nodded in approval. 'Good work Sasuke. Those attacks may have not seemed like much but they gauged Shino's taijutsu level to yours. Which are better than I would've thought.'

Sasuke was honestly surprised, Shino had better taijutsu and reaction time than Sasuke ever gave him credit for. He never paid any mind to Shino, or the Aburame clan itself. He knew of the clan's abilities with insects but he never saw it as a good ability, regardless Sasuke kept his guard up.

Likewise, Shino was quickly racking his mind for a way to defeat the Uchiha. The insect user was fully aware that the Uchiha clan was known for being all-around tough opponents. Shino also knew he could be quickly overpowered by better taijutsu and stronger ninjutsu if he didn't make the first move. He needed to end this battle quickly.

Sasuke activated his Sharingan and was instantly shocked. Throughout of Shino's body, both inside and out, he could see insects moving. They seemed to be integrated into his chakra system.

"Your bugs…they live inside you?"

Shino nodded. "Yes. All members of the Aburame clan are infused at birth with the special insect called kikaichū. Why you ask? Because that is our clan's bloodline technique."

"I didn't ask why but whatever."

"I know you did not ask why but I explained it regardless. Why you ask? Because nobody ever listens to what I have to say."

Sasuke was, honestly, a little dumbfounded. "Okay then…"

Shino's insects began to rapidly crawl out of the sleeves of his jacket and began to fly around him. The insects spread around the arena at an alarming rate. Before Sasuke was able to realize, or even react, what was going on, Shino had surrounded him and Sasuke in a small ring of insects.

"You're trapped Sasuke!" Sakura called out. "Get out of there!"

Sasuke heard his teammate's cry and mentally rolled his eyes. Obviously, he needed to get out and he knew he was trapped. But he was partly curious on what Shino's plan was. They were in a confined space and that was an advantage for Sasuke, close quarter combat was always good for Sasuke.

The giant swarm of insects began to close in on Sasuke, Shino stayed put and let the swarm ingulf him.

"You are trapped and this match is over. Why you ask? Because my insects will absorb all your chakra as they get closer."

Sasuke immediately went on the offensive and executed a series of hand signs. " _Katon: G_ _ō_ _kaky_ _ū_ _no Jutsu!"_

A burst of flame flew out of Sasuke's mouth and burned a section of the insects that were swarming him. He saw an opening but it was quickly closed up by more insects that emerged from Shino's jacket. He then thought about jumping his way out of the swarm, but that too was not an option. The insects closed in around Sasuke completely, he was now trapped inside a dome of bugs.

The Uchiha watched the dome of insects cautiously with his Sharingan, learning their movements and waiting for an opening to get out. He didn't have much time though, the dome was growing smaller and he could feel his chakra beginning to be drained by every little bite.

'Damnit! All my chakra will drained at this rate if I don't do something quick!' Sasuke kept swatting the bugs away and smacked all the bugs he could that were on his body. 'Even if I could use a jutsu right now, I'm not sure I'd be able to escape fast enough.'

The mark on his neck throbbed, reminding Sasuke it was there. He was running out of options and needed to end this battle now.

'Fine.'

Whatever restraints were holding the curse mark back were now off and the black markings spread up Sasuke's neck and down his left arm. He didn't need much power to escape so he stopped the spread of the markings partly down his arm, the markings ended just beyond his short sleeve and only reached the bottom of his ear.

The insects immediate reaction was to back off from Sasuke. The ones that did not were killed almost instantly when they bit into the Uchiha. Shino felt the sudden difference.

"You've changed. My insects will no longer take your chakra. Why?"

Shino was surprised when Sasuke calmly walked through the swarm of bugs. With each step the Uchiha took, the further Shino's insects got from the Uchiha. There was a massive amount of chakra coming off the Uchiha and Shino could see a bloodthirsty smirk on his face.

"For once, you don't answer your own question."

Sasuke's speed had increased greatly and Shino could not dodge the strong punch to his stomach. The insect user could do nothing but let out a gasp before falling over and passing out.

Hayate jumped in and quickly separated the two before anything else could happen. Shino and Hayate weren't the only ones to feel the difference in Sasuke, all the jōnin were either about to jump down or watching Sasuke carefully.

The Uchiha in question backed away slowly from the unconscious Shino before turning around to head back up to his team, but he was stopped when Naruto stood in his path. His arms were crossed and the look on his face was fierce.

"Calm down, Sasuke. Don't let it take you over."

Sasuke, with his Sharingan still active, glared at the blonde for a few moments before regaining control over himself and forcing the markings to retract back to the seal. He let out a strong breath and reopened his eyes, his Sharingan now gone.

Sasuke closed the distance between him and his teammate and stood eye to eye with him. So many unsaid things were passing between them.

"I can't wait to fight you, Naruto." Sasuke walked past Naruto and left the arena.

Naruto watched the Uchiha leave the area and thought about their conversation from a few days ago. There was a total tone shift in Sasuke and Naruto was positive that the curse mark had something to do with it. Was the mark affecting Sasuke in more than just strength?

Naruto turned back and Sakura was now standing near him, she had a worried look on her face.

"Everything's fine Sakura. You don't have to be worried."

The pinkette nodded her head but she was not swayed much. "What's going on with Sasuke…? I've never seen him like this."

"It's that damn seal that snake bastard gave him. I think it's affecting him in more ways than just strength."

"I think you're right Naruto." Kakashi said, coming up behind the blonde. "That mark is definitely affecting his personality."

Naruto nodded in understanding. He turned to follow his friend but Kakashi placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'll go talk to him. You and Sakura stay here and listen to what the proctor has to say about the next stage of the exams."

The two genin nodded and walked towards where the rest of the match winners were. Naruto and Sakura went and stood next to Shikamaru in the small gaggle of genin.

"Congratulations to all of you who won the rights to compete in the third round of the Chunin Exams. Even though one of you is missing, the eight of you will fight in one-on-one tournament style matches. These matches will be watched by everyone, guests and other Kages to show if you have what it takes to be a chunin. You will have one month to rest up, heal any injuries you might have sustained during the second stage, and improve yourself. But most of all, use this time to get to know your enemy and yourself. Now, everyone come forward to receive a number."

It took roughly five minutes for the seven genin to walk up to Hayate and grab the small piece of paper with a number on it. "Now, everyone say the number they got so we can determine who faces who."

"Two."

"Six."

"Seven."

"Four."

"One."

"Five."

"Three."

After a couple of minutes of writing the names on a clipboard and placing them in the correct spots, Hayate announced the matches. "Perfect, these will be the matches for the third stage in order: Neji Hyuuga vs. Sakura Haruno, Rock Lee vs. Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara vs. Temari of the Sand, and Gaara of the Desert vs. Sasuke Uchiha."

"Remember, you have one month to prepare yourselves as you see fit. More information will be put out to you the closer the date comes. Your senseis will escort you from the tower and out of the forest. Good luck to you all."


	13. Chapter 13

The smell of the Ichiraku Ramen shop was always a sense of calm that hit Naruto like a wave every time walked through the flaps, it was one of the few places in the village he felt safe from all the glares. Teuchi never once turned him away or yelled at him for causing his customers to leave the instant he sat down, it really was just a safe place for Naruto. The fact ramen was his favorite thing to eat was just an added bonus.

Naruto sat down at the counter of the small ramen shop. Teuchi didn't have to ask what the blonde wanted to eat, he ordered the same miso pork ramen with an extra side of shinachiku every time.

"It's good to see you, Naruto. We haven't seen you around much lately." The other cook said. It was teenage girl with brown hair. Ayame is Teuchi's daughter and she helped her father run the ramen stand.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry about that, Ayame. I've been busy with the Chunin Exams, so I haven't had much time to spare to come here."

"Oh, that's right! The Chunin Exams are going on. I've seen the flyers for the third stage around the village. How did you and your team do?"

Naruto beamed with a smile. "We did awesome! All three of us made it to the finals!"

"Well, that's a cause for celebration!" Teuchi said as he put the finishing touches on his customer's ramen. He placed the steaming bowl of broth and noodles in front of the young blonde. "First bowl is on the house."

"Really?! No fooling?!"

Teuchi chuckled at the boy's energy. He might have a troubled past and act more like an adult than most adults sometimes but he was still a kid, the only kid Teuchi knew who could get this excited about free ramen. "Dig in, kid."

"Thanks Teuchi!" Naruto said as he broke the chopsticks apart and began to funnel the noodles down his throat. The blonde boy had half his ramen gone in record time, even by his standards, when someone walked under the entrance flaps.

"There you are, Naruto. I've been looking for you."

Naruto finished the ramen he had in his mouth before turning his head over his shoulder to see Sakura walking into the ramen shop and sit down next to him. "Oh hey, Sakura. What do you need?"

"Kakashi sensei wants a team meeting today. I think he wants to discuss our training for the third stage."

"He gave us the day off though."

"Hey, I'm just following orders. Sensei came to me and said I needed to come find you so that we can have a team meeting at our usual meeting area."

Naruto let out a sigh, he was actually going to take the day off from training and rest up. Oh well, orders are orders. "Alright. Just let me finish my ramen and we'll head over there."

Sakura nodded in understanding and waited for her blonde teammate to finish his meal. Naruto brought the bowl to his mouth and drank the broth, Sakura could've sworn she saw him lick the bowl too.

"Thanks again for the free ramen, old man."

"Naruto! That's no way to speak to your elders!" Sakura scolded.

Teuchi let out a hardy laugh. "It's quite alright. Naruto, here, is my most regular customer. He gives me enough business to keep the shop open by himself. I know he means nothing by it."

Sakura sighed. "If you say so. C'mon Naruto, Kakashi sensei and Sasuke are probably waiting on us."

"Doubtful." Naruto and Sakura stood from their stools and left the ramen bar. "Bye guys, I'll be sure to stop by again soon!" He waved as he disappeared under the white flaps.

The pair of Team Seven genin walked the village streets, guiding themselves through the crowds of people, as they made their way to the bridge the team used to meet. Naruto kept his head down and avoided looking anywhere but forward, he ignored the hateful glares of the villagers but he could feel them looking at him.

Sakura noticed most of the villagers were watching her and Naruto pass by them, she wondered why they were looking at them. It took the pinkette a moment to realize it wasn't her the villagers were glaring at, it was Naruto. She looked at the villagers glaring at her teammate and saw the fury behind their eyes. Naruto was doing nothing wrong but the villagers were glaring at him as if he just committed a horrible crime.

Sakura moved to walk closer to Naruto so she wouldn't have to talk so loud. "Hey, why are they staring at you like that?"

Naruto's demeanor did not change. "…Remember what I said about me being the outcast? Well, you're seeing it firsthand."

Sakura instantly recalled their short conversation and nodded. "But why do they treat you like this? What did you do?"

"Nothing."

"N-Nothing?"

Naruto didn't respond for several moments as they turned down the road that led to the small red bridge. "Look, we'll talk about this after the meeting, okay? This is something both you and Sasuke need to hear."

This intrigued Sakura greatly, it had to be something big if Naruto had kept a secret from them for this long. Plus, this would be the perfect chance to talk to him about what that green toad said about one of the Sannin being this 'caretaker', as Naruto called him. The pink-haired nodded and saw Sasuke standing on the bridge, of course their sensei was nowhere to be seen.

Little did Team Seven know, their sensei had a very good reason to be late this time.

 **-With Kakashi-**

The silver-haired jōnin was casually making his way towards his team's usual meet up spot. He had just told Sasuke to head that way. Kakashi was just about to begin his trek there, himself, but he was just too interested in his beloved book and he just reached one of his most favorite parts. Just as he was about to go off somewhere and read it thoroughly, something caught his lone visible eye.

Perched on a rooftop that overlooked the main road of Konoha stood a lone man with long, spikey white hair and a large scroll strapped to his lower back. Kakashi blinked a few times, and even did a double take, to make sure his vision was not playing a trick on him. He followed the man's line of sight and saw what the man was watching. Coming out of the popular Ichiraku Ramen shop was Naruto, followed by Sakura.

Kakashi instantly closed his book and placed it in his back pouch. 'This is about to get very interesting.'

Kakashi jumped up to the rooftops and crept his way towards the man. He kept his movements slow and quiet, but he knew sneaking up on this man was something only a select few could do. Regardless, Kakashi did this so the man's presence wouldn't be made known to Naruto. For now.

Kakashi was about ten feet from the man before the man turned to face him.

The man smiled. "Not many can sneak up on me like that. You've gotten better, Kakashi."

"Lord Jiraiya…it's been a long time."

The legendary Toad Sannin crossed his arms. "Yeah, I know…it has."

Kakashi kept his distance between him and the Sannin. "Where have you been? Why are you here? Why now?"

Jiraiya expected this type of reaction from his godson's sensei. He deserved very bit of it. "Let me explain Kakashi. A lot has happened and I need you to understand that."

"Give me a reason why I should. I'm sorry Lord Jiraiya but I'm being this cautious for Naruto. He's been doing amazing as of late. He has a lot on his plate with the final stage of the Chunin Exams coming up and I don't want his mind getting turned inside out right now, he doesn't need it."

"I understand, Kakashi. I don't blame you. But this isn't about Naruto, not entirely. Not everything is as it seems."

"What do you mean?"

"We are on the brink of war and the old man has been lying about it."

Out of all the things Jiraiya could've said, that was not something Kakashi was necessarily expecting to hear. "I'm listening."

 **-With Team Seven-**

Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura had been waiting on the bridge for over an hour now, the team had become used to their teacher's tardiness but that didn't mean they approved of it.

"What do you think his excuse will be this time?"

Sasuke shook his head at Naruto's rhetorical question. "Whatever it is, it's stupid and just a cover for him to read that book of his."

Sakura nodded in agreement. "He likes that book way too much, it's disgusting that he reads that flith in public."

Naruto went to say something but decided to keep his mouth shut. As much as he agreed with Sakura he couldn't refute the fact everyone had perverted side to them, big or small. Whether they were comfortable enough with themselves to show it or even accept it was entirely up to them. Honestly, who was he to judge?

It was about that time when the man in question appeared in a swirl of leaves near the front of the bridge. "Yo."

Sakura immediately pointed at her teacher accusingly as he moved towards them. "You're late, Kakashi sensei!"

"I'm sorry but I'm afraid I got lost on the path of life."

All three of the genin rolled their eyes in unison and groaned in annoyance. "We've heard that one before." Naruto commented.

"Oh, you have? Well, then maybe I was helping an elderly woman with her bags…I don't remember. But enough of that. The reason I called you three here is because we need to discuss your training for the final stage of the Chunin Exam. Since the three of you made it to the finals, I can't train all three of you together. Not only would that not be fair to the other participants, I also feel like I can't train the three of you well enough to succeed when there's a large possibly you might face each other. I'm not abandoning you three, I've gone ahead and set up teachers to train you for the month."

The three genin nodded in understanding and refrained from asking any questions so Kakashi could continue to talk.

"Sakura, Kurenai Yūhi expressed interest in your abilities when she saw your fight against Ino. None of Team Eight made it to the finals so she's open to help with your training. Also, she'll give you some insight on how to handle the Byakugan in a fight. Meet her at the training grounds tomorrow morning."

The pinkette nodded and was delighted to hear another team's sensei was willing to train her.

"Sasuke, I decided it was be best if I trained you. Your Sharingan is improving but it still needs more development. However, that is not the only thing we will be working on. I've got some ideas on how to deal with that sand defense."

Sasuke didn't let his excitement show but Kakashi could tell he was happy to hear he'd be getting one-on-one training from him.

"And Naruto, I was going to let you go on by yourself because I know who much you prefer training that way. But…something came up and I felt like it would be better if you were trained under someone's supervision."

Naruto wasn't against having someone train him, it actually sounded like a nice change of pace. He just usually trained by himself because it was easier by reading a scroll the Sandaime gave him and teaching himself. He simply took out the middle man. Not to mention no one would ever give him the light of day.

"Who'd you have in mind, sensei?"

Kakashi hesitated for a moment. "Well…"

"Me."

While the other two genin turned to the sound of the voice, Naruto froze up completely. The blood drained from his face and he began to shake with anger. That voice was all too familiar. He slowly turned around to see the very man he hadn't seen in six long years. He hadn't changed. He still wore that same green short shirt kimono and matching pants, with the mesh armor underneath that was seen at his ankles, wrists, and chest. That red haori with the yellow spheres wasn't as vibrant as Naruto remembered, and the forehead protector with the kanji for oil looked well-worn. A dead giveaway to his affiliations to the toads on Mount Myōboku.

" _Ero-Sennin…"_

A part of Jiraiya never thought he'd hear that name again. He always loved it, even though he repeatedly told Naruto not to call him that. Jiraiya was cautious with his movements. "Naruto…please let me- "

The Sannin never got to finish his sentence, Naruto didn't let him. The blonde appeared in front of his godfather and delivered a punch with as much strength he could muster up, but Jiraiya caught the fist and small shockwave echoed from the collision.

Naruto looked up with anger and shock filling his features.

"I deserve every bit of anger you want to throw at me but we don't have time for it right now. We need to talk- "

"Time? You wanna talk about TIME?! WHERE THE FUCK HAVE YOU BEEN FOR THE PAST SIX YEARS?! YOU LEFT ME HERE LIKE I WAS NOTHING!"

"Naruto please, just let me explain."

"Why should I?! You dropped me here like I was nothing more than passing fancy!" Naruto back away from his godfather and turned to leave. "Fuck this. I'm outta here."

Naruto was almost off the bridge before Kakashi appeared and put his hand on his chest, stopping him from leaving. He glared at the man with pupils of the beast within him.

"You _need_ to hear him out, Naruto. Trust me."

"Oh yeah? And why should I? Give me one good reason why I should listen to this- "

"Your name."

Jiraiya knew that would do the trick, he didn't want to use his name as a ploy to talk to him but he didn't have much of a choice at this point. "I'll tell you everything. I don't give a damn about the rules anymore. It's time you knew."

He was still unbelievably angry, Naruto couldn't bring himself to unclench his fists he was so mad, but Naruto turned to look over his shoulder at the Sannin. "…Fine. Follow me and we'll talk." The blonde jumped into the air and the Sannin followed.

Sasuke was completely dumbfounded, he would have never guessed that a freaking Sannin was the one that took care of him before he came to the village. But it made total sense. It explained why he was so strong, it wasn't only because the Third Hokage 'trained' him but because one of the three _legendary_ Sannin trained him from birth.

Sakura was already aware that Naruto lived with Jiraiya but her prior knowledge of this did not ease the shock factor of what she had just witnessed. She knew Naruto would have some pent up aggression towards the Sannin, his mini freak out during their mission in the Land of Waves being the prime example, but she didn't expect it to be this bad.

"That was…something." Sasuke commented.

"It certainly was."

Sakura looked at her sensei in confusion. "Kakashi sensei, Lord Jiraiya said he didn't care about the rules anymore and it's time he knew everything. What did he mean by that? And why would his name be used as something to get Naruto to talk to him?"

Kakashi no longer saw the point in keeping his student's secrets any longer, well certain ones at least. "There are a lot of things Naruto doesn't even know about himself. But why Lord Jiraiya said that about Naruto's name is new to me."

"He doesn't believe that Naruto is his real name."

Both Sakura and Kakashi both looked at Sasuke perplexed.

"The night we stopped in the cave during the second stage, I went to Naruto to talk to him about what happened between me and him that day. He doesn't know if that's his real name because he found the name 'Naruto' in a book he wasn't supposed to read."

Well that just didn't seem right to Kakashi. Of course, that was his real name. He remembered his father bragging about his son to him a few days before the boy was born, his name had been chosen long before he was born. "What book?"

" _Tales of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi."_

It finally clicked in Kakashi's head. It made sense now. "Hm. I see. Well, I'm sure Lord Jiraiya will set everything straight. Let's go Sasuke, we need to talk about your training. Sakura don't forget to meet Kurenai at the training fields tomorrow." Kakashi turned and motioned for Sasuke to follow him.

The Uchiha looked at his pink-haired teammate before following their sensei. Sakura was left alone on the bridge, more confused than she had ever been in her life.

 **-With Naruto and Jiraiya-**

Naruto led his godfather to his rundown apartment in the back corner of the village. It wasn't rundown when he first got the apartment, years of torment and half-done repairs made it that way. It was at the point where Naruto had to practically kick the door open because the frame had been messed up and nobody was willing to fix it.

Once Naruto was able to open the door, he was treated to the sight of shattered glass and brick laying on the floor. Not the first time he came home to this sight, and probably not the last.

"Nice…place."

Naruto scoffed and sat down at his small table. "Ojiisan gave it to me the day you left. He covered the expenses until I graduated from the Ninja Academy."

"He gave you this shitty apartment?"

Naruto didn't even bother refuting that comment, it was shitty. "No. It was a decent place before the villagers figured out where I lived. It's an odd day when I come home and don't find something broken."

Jiraiya sat down across from his godson. "Their treatment of you hasn't change, has it?"

Naruto scoffed. "What do you think?"

It was a rhetorical question so Jiraiya didn't answer. Several moments of silence passed between the two.

"Well, are we gonna talk or just sit in fucking silence?"

Jiraiya sighed. "For the record, I never wanted to leave you. I stayed at the hospital all night with you, praying you'd wake up so I could take you out of there."

"But you weren't there when I did wake up, when it actually mattered."

"You're right…I wasn't. And I will never forgive myself for that. It was wrong, cowardly, and down right selfish of me to leave here alone without so much as a goodbye. I am sorry, Naruto."

Those words, Naruto could hear the sorrow and regret in his godfather's voice. Jiraiya truly wanted forgiveness for what he had done and it would haunt him for the rest of his days if he did not get it. But Naruto wasn't ready to give Jiraiya his forgiveness. Not yet. A lot had to be done before that.

"Give me the reason."

"Huh?"

"Tell me the reason why you left out saying goodbye. Tell me why you couldn't wait for me to wake up."

Jiraiya did not respond for quite some time. The silence that set in was tense for Naruto. Finally, after all this time, he would know why he was left alone. For so long, he waited for this question to be answered and now he would know.

"I didn't have a reason. I was a coward. I wasn't sure how to face you after what happened. I failed to do the very thing Sarutobi sensei asked me to do when he asked me to take you out of the village. I failed to protect you. It's my fault you endured these six years of hate and torment."

Naruto let that enter his brain and it sat with him for some time.

"…Ojiisan said he gave you a mission and you couldn't waste any time waiting for me to wake up. Did that play any part in you leaving when you did?"

"The mission…was a lie."

Naruto looked at Jiraiya in shock. "W-What?"

"Sarutobi sensei came to me while I waited by your side to wake up. He never asked if you were okay, or even why the villagers attacked you. He just walked in and said there was a mission for me. Apparently, a team of ANBU had gone missing and their last report stated that they spotted a masked man. Sensei believed they were dead and wanted me to investigate and track down this masked man."

"And that was a lie?"

Jiraiya nodded. "There was no missing ANBU team, no masked man. It was all a lie to get me out of the village and you here permanently."

"If it was all a lie then why didn't you come back sooner? Why stay away?"

"Because I found something else. Something more concerning than one dead ANBU team. One of my sources sent me a message about other villages increasing their training methods and doubling their budget for military spending. That means they are preparing themselves for war. I needed to double check to make sure these reports were accurate because I thought it might be the Third feeding me another lie. But it was true. Iwagakure and Kumogakure are gearing up for war, Naruto. And I'm certain their target is Konoha."

"I spent the last six years doing everything I can to gather up as much information as possible so that we can have any possible advantage against them. We've faced them before in war and won, but it won't be the same this time around."

"What's different this time?"

"Back then, it was everyone fighting everyone. A free-for-all. This will be the first time two villages will fight together as one."

Shock filled Naruto's features. "An alliance?"

Jiraiya nodded. "I mean, you can look at it as a good thing that two villages worked out their differences for a common goal. That common goal is Konoha being destroyed, but hey greater picture right?"

Naruto rolled his eyes. "Shut up pervy sage."

Jiraiya chuckled. "There's that smartass side. I'm glad to see you haven't changed completely while I've been away."

"Yeah, well…I guess spying on our enemies and learning we are going to war is a pretty decent excuse." Naruto mumbled begrudgingly.

Jiraiya chuckled sheepishly. It wasn't a straight line of forgiveness but it was something, and that's all he was hoping for. A chance. "That's not everything, though."

"Oh great, is the world ending too?"

"No no, that would be too easy. Kakashi told me about your dream, the goal you shared when your team first came together. I want to make up for lost time and make that dream a reality."

"What do you mean?"

"You've got the final stage of the Chunin Exam coming up. Your first opponent is that Rock Lee kid, right? Then it's a fifty-fifty shot between your female teammate and the Hyuuga prodigy, Neji. Right now, you could possibly beat them both in one-on-one matches. I'd say it's a toss up as you currently stand with that mark on your neck limiting you."

Naruto instinctively rubbed his hand over the seal on his neck. "You know about that?"

"Kakashi told me. He told me everything. I want to make up for all the agony I've caused you. I know life hasn't been easy and I'm not going to sugarcoat that. I want to train you to be the **strongest**."

Naruto was silent, taking in the words of his godfather and letting in sink into his brain.

"Before I agree to anything, I want you to answer a question for me."

"Of course. Anything."

The blonde reached into his inside jacket pocket and threw a slid the book across the table. "Is Naruto my real name?"

Jiraiya picked up the book and held in his hand. He softly smiled as he recalled the memories the book brought to him. Especially the day Minato and Kushina told him their intentions on naming their unborn child the main character. That same day they asked him to be Naruto's godfather. "Your parent's fell in love with the name after they read this book. They wanted to name you after the character, so you would never give up like him."

"…My parents?"

"They loved you so much, Naruto. I've never seen happiness like what I saw in your mother and father when they found out about you. You were all they talked about."

Tears couldn't stop flowing down Naruto's cheeks. He couldn't recall a time he was so happy in his life. He wiped his tears away on his sleeve. "Who were they?"

As much as Jiraiya wanted to tell him the truth, he couldn't confidently do it inside the village walls. "I can't tell you that yet."

"What? Why not?!"

"It's not safe to discuss your heritage inside the village walls. I'm positive someone is listening in on our conversation right now."

Naruto immediately scanned the room of his apartment and found nothing out of place. He looked back at his godfather. "Where can we go then?"

"I'll be taking you outside the village to train until the third stage begins. That way we are left alone and can talk about anything we need to."

"What about my team? I can't just leave them."

"I've already cleared it with Kakashi. He's willing to let you leave under my supervision as long as you get back in time for your match."

"What about Ojiisan? What does he say?"

"I don't care what the old man has to say. You're _my_ godson, not his."

Naruto was surprised to hear Jiraiya talk like that towards his teacher. "That's a bit harsh, pervy sage. I think he deserves to know."

"You can tell him if you want, but he'll probably try and convince you not to come with me."

"Why? Aren't you his student?"

"I was. But remember Naruto, Sarutobi sensei gave me that fake mission to get me out of here. He doesn't want me around you anymore. I think he wanted to train you himself but couldn't find the time as Hokage."

Naruto let out a sigh and nodded in understanding. "Okay. I won't tell him. When do we leave?"

"In the morning. I figured you'd want to enjoy the rest of your day, maybe go see that female teammate of yours." Jiraiya said suggestively with a certain arch in his eyebrow.

"Sakura? Why would I go see her?"

"I saw you two leaving that ramen bar together. I know a date when I see one."

Naruto's cheeks flushed from embarrassment. "That wasn't a date, you pervert. Sakura was looking for me so we could go meet Kakashi sensei."

"Whatever you say, my boy, whatever you say."

Jiraiya suddenly stood from his seat at the table and began walking towards the door. Naruto was confused by this.

"Hey where are you going?"

"I promised an old friend I'd help with something and I'm already late. I'll stop by later and we'll go get something to eat."

 **-With Kakashi and Sasuke-**

The room was dark, the only light came from the few candles that gave Kakashi enough sight to see what he was doing. He had just finished drawing the necessary markings and seals on Sasuke's shirtless upper body and was finally ready to begin.

Sasuke steeled himself for what was about to happen. He took in a deep breath and let it out, kneeling down on the ground as he did so. He recalled Kakashi's words to him as he felt his sensei's hand cover the curse mark.

" _That mark on your neck, it's affecting more than just your strength. Your hostility towards others has skyrocketed, especially towards your teammates. Don't let that hunger for power destroy everything you've done and built with your comrades. Revenge only feeds the need for more revenge."_

Kakashi focused his chakra into the seal and Sasuke let out a painfilled scream, the markings on his body funneled into the cursed seal. The tomoe burned red from the markings and then faded away. Sasuke was too overwhelmed with the pain and passed out.

"My, how've you grown Kakashi. To think you'd be able to handle one of my seals."

Kakashi gasped and turned to face the voice. There was only person who that kind of voice. Stepping out from behind one of the pillars was Orochimaru.

"Orochimaru…"

"Sorry, but my business is not with you Kakashi."

"Why are you after Sasuke?!"

Orochimaru's smile became even more wicked when he turned his golden snake eyes to Kakashi's covered left eye. "You didn't have it before, did you? That Sharingan in your left eye!"

Kakashi's entire body tensed, he could feel the Sannin's glare on his Sharingan.

"I want it, too…the power of the Uchiha!"

"What's your game?"

Orochimaru chuckled sinisterly. "You already understand, don't you?"

"Sounds like ridiculous ambition from what I've pieced together."

"But, what I need are various pieces who will obey my every command."

"So, Sasuke is one of those pieces? A pawn for your own personal gain?"

"No. Sasuke is an exceptional piece. Even the Nine-Tails brat would make for an exceptional piece. But those who are in the exams now…are mere throw away pawns in my plan!"

Orochimaru took a step closer. Kakashi wasn't willing to play this game, he wouldn't win. He extended his right arm towards the ground and gripped his bicep with his left hand. Lightning arched from his open right palm.

"Not one step closer! Take another step towards Sasuke and one of us will die here!"

Orochimaru began to laugh hysterically, maniacally even. "Do you really think that seal of yours will hold? Do you believe you can keep him? That boy is an avenger. No matter what obstacles you put in front of him, he will come to me."

Orochimaru turned to leave, letting Kakashi stew in his own fear. The Snake Sannin stopped when he finally realized who had been watching them the whole time. The one man who could sneak up on him. Standing at the far end of the room was Jiraiya.

"You are a damn fool Orochimaru."

"I'm the fool, Jiraiya? That's clever, it really is."

"Do you honestly think you can just walk in and take anything you want? Your plan to get the Sharingan has already failed once, what makes you think it will work this time?"

Orochimaru chuckled darkly. "I'm taking a much more subtle approach. The Sharingan will come to me. It was only a matter of time before Sasuke realized what he needed to kill Itachi could not be achieved in this forsaken village."

"Your plan is to just let him come to you? But yet you expose yourself like this? You really must be desperate."

"Oh Jiraiya, there is a plan for everything. Don't you worry, if I ever become desperate then you, our pitiful excuse of a teammate, and even Sarutobi sensei will know it." Orochimaru's body disintegrated into a pile of snakes and slithered away.

Jiraiya didn't even bother going after Orochimaru, the time for their battle would come soon enough. The Toad Sannin made his way towards Kakashi.

"You good?"

The jōnin nodded. "Yeah. I'm not really sure what I was thinking though, threatening Orochimaru like that."

"Ah, don't dwell on that. He wasn't going to do anything. Orochimaru is just rattling the cage, he's too smart to do anything right now. My guess he'll stay in the shadows for now until he wants to make his move for real."

"What could that be though? He said his plan is to let Sasuke come to him. Why continuously show himself?"

"That is the burning question, isn't it?" Jiraiya looked over the fully developed curse mark on the unconscious Uchiha boy's neck. "I figured as much. This mark has three levels, each with a different jutsu formula that releases the affects on his body."

"So, each one of those tomoe has a different affect on Sasuke?"

Jiraiya nodded. "I'm assuming so. It would make sense because Naruto's mark only causes him pain, he doesn't get any sort of power or changes to his behavior. Maybe that's the first tomoe's purpose, giving the pain. The second and third must give Sasuke the power boost and affects to his personality."

"Do you think the seal worked?"

Jiraiya looked around the room and saw how Kakashi had everything set up. "Honestly, the Evil Sealing Method was probably the best choice but using it on this mark leaves it entirely up to Sasuke. The jutsu will keep it suppressed but if Sasuke wants to tap into the curse seal's power, your jutsu won't stop him. At most, cause him more pain."

"Is there anything you could do? You are much better at fuinjutsu then I am."

Jiraiya shook his head. "Not right now, no. I would need a lot of time to figure out the formulas Orochimaru used to create each tomoe, even more time to counter them with the right techniques. I was going to figure out Naruto's mark while I trained him then do what I could for Sasuke when we returned."

"You'll be gone for the next month. Do you think you'll have by it figured out by the start of the third stage?"

Jiraiya laughed. "Between my knowledge of fuinjutsu and Naruto's ability to understand it, I think we will have it figured it by then. Just keep a close eye on Sasuke, my guess the mark is tied to his anger and frustration."

Kakashi nodded. "He'll be training with me, so that won't be a problem."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding. He was no longer needed here so he figured it was time to go. The Sannin walked towards the exit while Kakashi picked up Sasuke and placed him on his back.

"Lord Jiraiya…"

Jiraiya stopped and turned to face Kakashi. "Yes?"

"Take care of him, he's still a kid."

Jiraiya smirked, but it was not a happy one. "Naruto has more responsibility on his shoulders than most people know how to handle. The world is counting on him, it just doesn't know it yet."

Jiraiya turned to leave. "Don't worry Kakashi, you've done an amazing job with Naruto. Minato would be proud."


	14. Chapter 14

The Third Hokage anxiously chewed on the mouth piece of his pipe, he was not one who liked being in the dark. Over the years of him being Hokage, Sarutobi was very accustomed to knowing about everything that was happening around him. So, one can imagine his discomfort when one of his top jōnin reported that Orochimaru was sighted in the Forest of Death during the second stage of the Chunin Exam.

Sarutobi had planned to be there for the preliminary matches but the Orochimaru sighting made him question that action. There was a stinking feeling in his old bones that his former pupil had a sinister plan for Konoha. Why else would he show himself now, after all this time?

There was a knock at the door. "Come in."

The door opened and Kakashi entered his office.

"You wanted to see me, Lord Hokage?"

Sarutobi nodded. "Yes. I just wanted to congratulate you on getting all three of your students to the final stage of the Chunin Exams. That's something that hasn't been done in a long time."

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "I appreciate the praise, but they're the ones who actually did it. I just gave them the pieces to succeed."

"Regardless, it's still an amazing accomplishment, Kakashi. You should be proud."

"I am. Those three have incredible futures ahead of them."

Sarutobi nodded again. "That they do, especially Naruto."

The silver-haired jōnin should have expected that one. "…Yes, especially Naruto."

"How is he doing? Is his training going well?"

"Actually, I wouldn't know."

Sarutobi raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Aren't you training him for his match?"

"No, I'm not. Since all three of my students made it to the finals, I felt that I couldn't properly train all three of them for their respective matches. So, I enlisted for some help. Kurenai thought highly of Sakura's skills from watching her match against Ino and she accepted my request to train Sakura. And Sasuke will be training with me."

"And what of Naruto?" Sarutobi questioned worryingly.

Kakashi shrugged his shoulders with his hands placed inside his pockets. "I'm not currently tracking where Naruto is or what he's doing."

"What do you mean? Why aren't you training him, Kakashi?! This wasn't what I wanted!"

"What do you want, Lord Hokage? I'd very much like to know what you have planned for _my_ student."

"Kakashi…go get Naruto or I'll suspend you for neglecting your student."

Kakashi kept his calm demeanor. "You see, my lord, that's going to be a bit challenging. The last time I saw Naruto was a few days ago when he left the village with his _godfather_. I felt like those two needed some time alone, they have a lot to sort out."

The Third Hokage was at a loss for words. "J-Jiraiya was here? In the village?"

Kakashi nodded, the look of confusion plastered on his face in mockery. "You didn't know? I would've assumed Lord Jiraiya have come to you first to report on his mission. Hm. My mistake."

Sarutobi glared at his top jōnin. "Kakashi, if you know something- "

"The only thing I know, Lord Hokage, is that I'm late to train my student. If you'll excuse me now." Kakashi turned to leave the office.

"What did Jiraiya tell you, Kakashi? You've never acted like this before."

Kakashi stopped turning the door knob as he thought about to his conversation with the legendary toad Sannin.

 **-A few days ago-**

 _Jiraiya led the very curious Kakashi to the top of the mountain that overlooked Konoha, the carved stone faces of the four Hokage were directly below them._

" _Why did you bring me up here?"_

" _I needed to be sure no one was listening in on our conversation, I'm not very trusting of my former sensei these days."_

" _You said he lied. About what?"_

" _The mission the old man gave me was a red herring, a wild goose chase to get me out of the village. He wanted Naruto in the village permanently, and me nowhere near him."_

 _Kakashi raised his visible eyebrow. "Then why didn't you return sooner, why wait so long to return?"_

 _Jiraiya reached into his red haori and pulled out an unmarked scroll. He handed it over to Kakashi. "Read it."_

 _Kakashi looked at the scroll momentarily before unrolling it to read the contents. It took the jōnin a few minutes to read over the scroll. There was so much information on it that Kakashi needed to reread some of it twice just to remember it all._

" _So…another war…"_

 _Jiraiya nodded. "It's been inevitable since the end of the last one."_

" _I'm still trying to wrap my head around Kumo and Iwa having an alliance. Their hatred for each other runs deep."_

" _The enemy of my enemy is my friend, Kakashi. They have a common enemy in Konoha, their hate for us runs deeper than each other apparently. Minato really put a dent in both their forces during the last war. I think it's safe to say they are doing this for revenge."_

 _Kakashi immediately looked concerned. "Naruto?"_

 _Jiraiya shook his head. "They don't know about his heritage, he's safe. Well, relatively."_

" _Relatively?"_

 _The Sannin sighed. "So long as Naruto's parenthood doesn't leak out to the world he will only have one organization after him."_

" _ **One**_ _organization?"_

" _A source of mine confirmed a group named 'The Akatsuki' are gathering information on the nine individuals that hold the strongest beings in them. The nine jinchuriki. Their plan is to somehow take the beasts for themselves. My guess for world dominance or something along those lines."_

 _Kakashi couldn't believe what he was hearing. There was a group of people_ _ **hunting**_ _the beast inside of Naruto? They had to be some of the strongest ninjas in the entire world to even stand a chance against those beasts of unimaginable power. "That's insane…"_

" _That's not it. My source also confirmed the Akatsuki are starting their hunt with Naruto."_

" _How long until they come for him?"_

" _Two, maybe three, months."_

 _Kakashi ran his hand through his spikey silver hair, his concern for his student skyrocketing to new heights. But if Kakashi was completely honest with himself, he wasn't totally shocked by this troubling news. The secret of Naruto having the Kyuubi sealed in him wouldn't be kept forever, still the news of having an organization of, quite possibly, the strongest ninja in the world gunning for the boy wasn't something Kakashi certainly expected or liked to hear._

" _What can we do?"_

" _For now, we need to train him. Prepare him for much as we possibly can."_

" _Naruto's just a kid though, there is no way he's strong enough to handle people like this. Hell, I might not even be able to."_

" _It's all we can do. I'm not going to hide him away so that whatever their plan is can never be completed. That's not fair to Naruto, nor is it right. It's a threat that he'll have to face eventually."_

 _Kakashi let more of his emotion show and he looked down in sorrow for his student. "There is already so much going on with him. He doesn't need something like this."_

 _Jiraiya didn't respond for a few moments and Kakashi didn't need to think very hard on why. He was the reason why Naruto had this turmoil that plagued him. And now the jōnin figured it was safe to say the Third Hokage was at fault too._

" _One last thing Kakashi, I want to train my godson for his match in the final stage."_

 _Kakashi saw that one coming. "Before I agree to that, Lord Jiraiya, there is something you must know."_

 _The Sannin remained silent, letting Kakashi know he would listen._

" _Naruto has changed a lot since you've been gone. I'm not sure what you taught him while he was with you but it certainly has set him well above most of his peers. Naruto is disturbingly strong for his age, so much so that he stood toe-to-toe with Zabuza Momochi and gave a limited Orochimaru a run for his money. All the while getting cursed by him, Naruto made a Sannin turn and run. Despite all that power, he still wants nothing more than your acceptance. Your acknowledgement. That's his goal. To become the strongest so that he can prove to the village that they were wrong to treat him like they have and get the acknowledgement of the one person he holds above all else. I can only assume that person is you. You coming back into his life now may throw everything he's been working towards completely null and void, to him at least. He needs to know the truth."_

 _Jiraiya nodded in utter agreement. "I completely agree-"_

" _The_ _ **whole**_ _truth."_

 _The toad Sannin put the words together in his head and the meaning behind them, Kakashi could see it on his face. It may not have been a part of his original plan but Jiraiya saw that Kakashi was right. "You are right. It is time. But, I'll only tell him everything if you agree to let me train him."_

 _Kakashi nodded. "I see no problem with that. But it is his decision."_

"… _I think I know how to get him to agree."_

 **-Present time-**

Kakashi glanced back over his shoulder to look at his Hokage. "There's a storm coming, Lord Hokage. I suggest you batten down the hatches and prepare yourself. Though, I'm not even sure that'll be good enough."

Sarutobi grew even more confused, and slightly concerned, at his top jōnin's vague statement. He didn't even bother questioning him because the man was already out the door and down the wall. The Third Hokage leaned back in his chair to sort through his thoughts.

 **-With Jiraiya and Naruto, somewhere in the Land of Fire-**

The duo of godfather and godson trekked through the deep, heavy forest that spread throughout most of the Land of Fire, almost aimlessly to anyone who wasn't aware of their intentions. Jiraiya was walking ahead of the blonde boy, guiding them through the dense forest. Naruto was trailing a good distance behind, he was far too distracted with the current object in his hand.

The object was a blue rubber ball that Naruto held with both hands. One on top and the other supporting the bottom. He continuously poured his chakra into the ball, trying to get it to burst. The rubber ball moved and contorted but it did not explode. Naruto ceased his chakra flow and breath out.

"Damn it!"

"You aren't doing it right. You're trying to simply overpower the ball and destroy it."

"But putting chakra into this will cause it to burst! The power!"

Jiraiya shook his head and looked over his shoulder at his blonde-haired godson. "You're missing the whole point. It's all about how you control the power. You can't just funnel the chakra into the ball and expect it to blow from the sheer amount, you need to still rotate the chakra that you are pouring into the ball. Remember the Rasengan has three steps: rotation, power, and containment."

Naruto grumbled to himself. "The rotation was easy though…I didn't expect the power step to be this hard."

"The first step was easy for you because of all those chakra control exercises you got from those scrolls you read. Despite the large amounts of chakra you have, your control of it is better than I thought. But this isn't like any other chakra control. It takes a certain finesse to rotate chakra _and_ give it power."

Naruto let out a sigh and placed the rubber ball in his bag, deciding to take a break for awhile and come back to it later.

"Where are going, anyway? You never told me that."

"Would you believe me if I said we're just walking in circles to pass time?"

Naruto held a deadpanned expression. "Honestly, I can see you doing that."

Jiraiya chuckled. "If you really want to know, I'm looking for a certain marker."

Naruto raised his eyebrow in confusion. "A certain marker? What for?"

Jiraiya stopped suddenly and looked to his left, something of interest caught his eye. He moved quickly towards a certain tree and Naruto followed in confusion. He hated when Jiraiya would do this. The perverted Sannin stopped and ran his hand over a inscription in the bark of the tree. It was a kanji, meaning "sword".

"Well, we're on the right track."

"Right track of what?"

Jiraiya pulled out a small map of the area and marked the location with a pencil. He seemed to do some quick calculations before turning another direction and began walking again. Naruto followed suit, his confusion growing rapidly.

"There's a legend that gets passed around in the old parts of the world about a powerful sword, one said to be so powerful that the First Hokage sought out it's strength to help him with his fight against Madara Uchiha."

Naruto had his curiosity peaked. "Really? Did he find it?"

"No. His duties as Hokage came first. But some old records of Lord First's I found said he marked most of the path to the sword with trees he created with his _Mokuton_ abilities and added the marking to it we just saw."

"Wait…so that tree back there was created by the Shodai? And it's _still_ there?"

Jiraiya nodded. " _Mokuton_ is one of the strongest abilities. Ever. It's so rare that it's classified as a bloodline trait, really it's just the combination of _Doton_ and _Suiton_."

"Then why is the ability so rare if it's just a chakra nature combination?"

"You need his blood. That's why it's bloodline trait."

Naruto nodded in understanding, but he really didn't understand fully. But that didn't bother him, this sword sounded really awesome if the First Hokage wanted for his battle with the great Madara Uchiha.

"So, why are we looking for this sword? Are you going to use it to fight Orochimaru?"

"Nope."

"Oh. Then what's the reason?"

"It's for you."

"M-Me? Why me?"

Jiraiya stopped walking and turned around completely. He placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder. "The events of the next few years will change the world, Naruto. This upcoming war is unlike any other. People will die, a lot of people will die. I've lost a great deal of friends in war, more than I was ready to. I'm not ready to lose my godson."

Naruto was deeply moved by his godfather's words. Despite him leaving under a false pretense, Jiraiya still cared deeply about Naruto and the boy could see it well. He missed that care. It was a good feeling to have again. "I'm not going to die Pervy Sage, not for a very long time at least."

Jiraiya softly smiled. "I know kid, I know. I've always been worried about you, even when I don't need to be." The Sannin removed his hand from the boy's shoulder and began to walk again. "C'mon, let's get moving."

 **-Kakashi and Sasuke-**

The silver-haired jōnin and his black-haired student were standing a top a large cliff that was located just outside of Konoha's walls. The two stood apart from one another, they had just finished up a warm-up spar.

"Not bad, Sasuke. Your speed and power have greatly increased. Not to mention your reaction time is probably on par with Naruto's, and that's without your Sharingan. I think you two are pretty much even right now."

Sasuke smirked triumphally, his long hours of training were finally paying off. "So, what can I do to get ahead of the dobe?"

"I have a few ideas for that but we'll worry those about that later. For now, we need to prepare you for your match against Gaara."

Sasuke nodded in understanding. "While I watched his match, I noticed something in his defense. That sand is able to defend a complete 360 degrees, it doesn't have a blind spot."

Kakashi nodded. "I noticed that as well. And it has quite the range and speed."

"Maybe I could overpower it with a jutsu."

"Hm. Possibly, I do have a jutsu in mind for that but my hunch it'll only work if you weaken him somehow. Divert his attention."

"Shadow clone?"

The jōnin shook his head. "No. You don't the chakra to hold a shadow clone for that long, plus you wouldn't have enough chakra leftover the use the technique I'm going to teach you. I think your best bet is to simply be faster than the sand."

Sasuke raised his eyebrow in confusion. "And how do I do that? I'm nowhere near that speed."

Kakashi reached into his back pouch and pulled out a set of weights. He tossed them over to his student. "These should do the trick."

Sasuke looked at the weights in his hands. He was surprised by the fact they felt virtually weightless. Kakashi saw the lingering confusion on Sasuke's face and decided to elaborate.

"Those are chakra weights. The weight is based on how much chakra you put into them. Since we only have a month, we'll have to set the weight pretty high from the get go."

It clicked in Sasuke's head. "That's right, Naruto used something similar. I remember him taking off a pair of bracelets during his fight with Haku on the bridge in the Land of Waves."

Kakashi nodded. "And look how fast he is. Now, c'mon. Let's start by showing you the technique I want you to learn."

 **-With Sakura and Kurenai-**

The lone female of Team Seven stood across from the lone female sensei of her peers. Kurenai had been training Sakura for the past few days and was impressed by the girl's knowledge of the shinobi world. Not to mention ability to learn at such a rapid pace and uncanny skill for genjutsu. The beautiful red eyed jōnin didn't want to brag but Sakura's genjutsu talent reminded her of own.

"Alright Sakura, I've been able to gauge your strength over these past couple of days. And I must say I am impressed by your potential."

Sakura bowed slightly to the praise. "Thank you, Kurenai sensei."

"But that doesn't mean you can't improve. You still have a long way to go if you want to stand up against Neji."

Sakura nodded in understanding, she was very aware of the power gap between her and her future opponent. "Kurenai sensei, since you have Hinata as a student, would happen to know a possible weakness in the Hyuuga's tactics and abilities?"

Kurenai adopted a thoughtful pose for a few moments. "Hm. Not that I'm aware of, no. The Hyuuga's Gentle Fist taijutsu style is virtually unbeatable in close combat. Hinata was by far the best in taijutsu on the team, and Neji is well beyond her. But maybe Hinata would know, we can ask her."

Sakura was confused. "I thought Hinata was still in the hospital from her match with Neji?"

"She is. But Hinata has been doing better as of late, her doctor said she should be getting released in the next few days if her recovery continues to go well."

"Will she recovered enough to possibly spar with me?"

Kurenai shook her head. "I'm afraid not. Hinata still has lingering pain from her match, I don't think she will be able to fight for quite some time."

Sakura nodded in understanding. It was a bit of stretch but Sakura wanted to cover all bases and try to uncover any advantage she could for her match against Neji.

"We'll worry about that when we can ask Hinata. For now, let's focus on your genjutsu."

 **-With Jiraiya and Naruto-**

Jiraiya was truly impressed by what he was witnessing, he never would have expected this. Even for Naruto being Minato's son, the Sannin would have never thought Naruto would learn the Rasengan in just over a week. He gave Naruto the first step of rotation with the water balloon on the first day and he had it down by the end of the day. The second step of power took the boy a few days to get a grip on because his chakra control wasn't what he needed it to be to achieve this step. Jiraiya credited Naruto's fast learning to his shadow clone memory transfer, he would often leave his clones behind to train while they pushed forward in finding the certain markings that pointed them in the direction of this powerful weapon of legend.

The third and final step came almost naturally to Naruto, combining the rotation and power then containing both into the blue spiraling sphere that is the Rasengan. Which the blonde boy was currently practicing.

"You're a natural, my boy!"

Naruto released the sphere and breathed in and out, he had been trying to create the jutsu all day and was finally able to the combination of the three steps down.

"Nothing to it, Ero-Sennin. As difficult as the second step was for me, using the Rasengan almost feels second nature to me. It's weird, I guess, but I feel like this jutsu is a part of me, y'know?"

Jiraiya smirked. "It's not weird at all, I understand it completely."

Naruto nodded in understanding and continued to follow his godfather through the forest. The blonde had been trying to figure out where they were in the Land of Fire but it had been nothing but straight woods and trees since they left Konoha.

"Do you have any idea where we are, Pervy Sage?"

"Not a clue."

Naruto deadpanned. "Why am I not surprised?"

"My gut is telling me we're getting close though, shouldn't much longer now."

Naruto rolled his eyes, he knew well enough that Jiraiya's gut feelings were hit or miss. Most of the time those feelings weren't usually very spot on, but the man did have his moments like everyone else. Speaking of having a moment…

"Hey pervy sage…"

"Yeah?"

"Are you ever going to tell me about my parents like you said you would?"

Jiraiya suddenly stopped walking and Naruto caught up to the man and moved to his front. There was a particular look in Jiraiya's eyes that Naruto only describe as…uncertain.

"…I guess it is time for you to learn." Jiraiya saw a fallen tree and moved towards it. He sat down in the broken log and motioned Naruto to come sit next to him. Naruto did so and looked at his godfather in confusion.

Jiraiya breathed in a heavy sigh, steeling himself for what he was about to say. "Your father…was the Fourth Hokage."

Naruto remained silent, letting this revelation stink into his brain.

"I know what you must be thinking, and it's not what you think. Minato sealed the Kyuubi in you because he believed in you that one day you could use that power. Do you know why he chose you?"

"…What's that?"

The elder man placed a comforting hand on his godson's shoulder, knowing this was a lot to take in.

"Because he loved you. And wanted to protect you."

Naruto's blank stare turned into a glare as he turned his head to his godfather. "He sealed the most hated being in all of Konoha to protect me? Cause that makes fucking sense."

"Neither Minato, Sarutobi sensei, or even myself could have predicted the villagers reaction to you. We all wanted you to be seen as a hero, but the families who lost people just couldn't see it. Rumors spread like wildfire through the village, we weren't sure what would happen. We had to get you out of there. That's why I watched over you through the first part of your life."

"I studied your seal when you were younger and figured out that the fox's chakra gradually leaks out into your system and become yours. That's where your massive chakra reserves come from. That's how Minato is protecting you, he created your seal in such a way to make the beast's power yours."

Naruto subconsciously moved his hand on his stomach over his clothes, right where the seal would appear. Was that why he was vastly more powerful than his peers? But what about that pull from before? The day on the bridge in the Land of Waves, why did he lose control over himself? Something never added up about that day. He needed to find out what.

"So…my father gave me a demon. What about my mother?"

Jiraiya smiled softly. "Ah, Kushina. That woman…there will never be another one like her."

"You better not be thinking anything perverted."

Jiraiya laughed full heartedly. "Not in a million years with your mother. She was just as bad as Tsunade when it came to putting me in my place. Your mother was amazing, Naruto. I've never seen a woman so excited about childbirth, just the mere thought of having you gave Kushina an amazing sense of happiness. She loved you so much, I don't think anyone could ever love a child like your mother loved you."

A lone tear streaked down Naruto's whiskered cheek, a sense of unimaginable happiness spread throughout him. He couldn't hold back his grin as Jiraiya continued to rave about his parent's love for him. He couldn't hold back the tears any longer, the flood gates were opened.

"Man, I remember the day your parents told about you. Minato tried to hide the surprise but Kushina couldn't help herself and she blurted it out the second I walked through the door. The more they talked about you, the more I saw how good you were going to grow up…" He chuckled softly to himself. "I wish they could see you now, they would be so proud."

Naruto sniffed and wiped away his tears on his sleeve. "Y-You think?"

Jiraiya wrapped a single arm around his godson and pulled into his large frame. He looked down at Naruto with a heartfelt smile and ruffled his spikey blonde hair with his hand. "I know they would."

Several minutes of undisturbed silence fell between the two, Naruto was still trying to comprehend the fact that his father sealed a demon in him. Never would he have thought that his father was the legendary Fourth Hokage. The man who was feared by nations. The man who could had power beyond his young years. The man who selflessly gave his life to save Konoha from certain destruction…and gave his life to seal that very destruction in his newborn son. Naruto wasn't sure how he would come to terms with this.

" _ **Life isn't fair, Kit. Sometimes shit happens that is out of your control and you just must roll with the punches. But you must understand that the Fourth Hokage was trying to make you a hero. The village, however, didn't see you the way he, or the Third, wanted. Don't be angry with him, he was doing what he thought was best for the village. If it wasn't for you then the village would have been destroyed and you wouldn't even exist right now."**_

Naruto suddenly recalled the Kyuubi's words the day he learned about the demon's existence in him. The Fourth wanted him to be thought of as a hero, not a sacrifice. But that hardly helped mend this fresh wound. Naruto was going to need time. A lot of time.

The blonde boy hopped off the log him and Jiraiya were sitting on and began walking in a random direction. Jiraiya wasn't surprised by this, he merely sighed and followed his godson.

 **-With Rock Lee and Maito Gai, days later-**

"Four hundred and ninety-nine laps down! One more to go Lee!"

"Yes, Gai sensei!"

The two-green clad master-student duo were having racing around the outer wall of Konoha…on their hands. Currently, Gai was just ahead of his youthful student as they passed the starting point. Gai could tell Lee was starting to reach his limit, not that Gai was fairing much better, but the jōnin was greatly impressed, he didn't think Lee would make it past lap three hundred. He certainly didn't think Lee would be hot on his heels on the final lap.

Lee had absolutely no feeling left in his arms, all the blood had rushed to his head. The boy was certain he was starting to see the village wall in a different color. But he wasn't about to give up, not when he was this close to the end! Lee continued to push his body to its limit and beyond.

Lee stayed with his master through the entirety of the final lap, he was just behind Gai as they came on the final stretch.

"Almost there, Lee! Don't stop now!"

Lee could see the finish, he was a mere five feet to the line before his arms caved out from beneath him and the boy collapsed to the ground. Lee could only watch as his beloved master cross the finish line. Gai was more graceful as he, too, went to the ground.

"Do not beat yourself up, Lee." Gai said between his labored breathing. "You did very well and there is no need to feel shame in your loss. You exceeded my-" Gai glanced up and couldn't believe his eyes.

Lee was struggling to his hands and knees, then continuously tried to push himself back into a handstand position but could not get off the ground. His arms shook violently from the simplest pressure. Trying with everything he had, Lee still could not get off the ground.

"Lee…"

"I must…finish. I can't…stop now!" Lee began to crawl. "I will…not lose again!"

Using the last bit of his strength, Lee dragged himself across the finish. He stopped when he reached his sensei, who was sitting upright. Gai helped Lee sit up against the village main wall.

"The power of youth burns deep in you, my student. You remind me so much of myself."

Lee felt a large sense of pride course through him, but he could barely begin to tell his master. His physical exhaustion was too much to handle for him to truly express his gratitude

"You've done very well this past month in your training for the final stage. Naruto will be no match for your strength!" Gai gave his youthful student a thumbs up and his trademark smile that caused his teeth to glisten in the sunlight.

Lee hadn't forgotten about his opponent for his match in the third stage of the Chunin Exams, in fact that's the only thing Lee's thought about for the past month. The mere thought of his match with Naruto really drove him, it was an unlimited source of fuel to feed the fire that was his drive to finally prove that one did not need a birth given talent, a clan's secret bloodline technique, or being a labeled a genius. Lee wanted to prove that the only thing a person needed to be strong was the will and determination to work hard.

'One day…I will beat you Neji!'

 **-With Naruto and Jiraiya-**

The atmosphere between the godfather and godson had changed drastically since the beginning of their journey a month ago. It was the night before the third stage of the Chunin Exams and the two were sitting in front of a small camp fire. Jiraiya was sitting on a fallen tree while Naruto was leaning against it as he sat on the ground. There hadn't been much said between them throughout the day, they had been, practically, sprinting back to the village because their journey took them farther than Jiraiya had originally thought. In fact, silence was all that was between Jiraiya and his godson in the past few days. Naruto hadn't much of anything since he came out of that chamber.

He could still hear it, that harmonic tone rang through Naruto's ears and echoed deep in his mind. It was a beautiful tone that he could barely try to duplicate and yet all he wanted to do was whistle for the wind to come. Being inside that chamber was an experience unlike anything else, it was an odd sense of familiarity due to the beast that resided in him.

"I still haven't forgiven you, y'know."

The first thing Naruto had said in days. "Yeah…I've been catching onto that."

"A few fancy jutsus and a month together doesn't mean shit compared to the six years of torment and being alone."

"..."

"And all this time, you _knew_ the truth about my parents. And never thought to tell me. I spent my entire life wondering who I was or where I came from. Only to find out that my own father is the reason the village hates me so much."

"..."

Jiraiya's lack of argument just made Naruto even more angry with him. The fact he wasn't trying to defend himself or, even, give some type of counter point just frustrated the blonde boy more. The Kyuubi host hastily stood up and glared at his godfather.

"Don't you have anything to say for yourself?!"

Jiraiya did not say anything for several moments, Naruto thought he was finally going to say something. But the man did not respond with words. Jiraiya reached into his red haori and pulled out a blue porcelain bottle with a cork stuffed into the opening. He pulled out the cork with an audible pop, allowing the alcohol trapped inside to breath into the night air.

Jiraiya held the bottle out. "Here."

Naruto's eyebrow twitched. "You want me to drink that? I'm freaking twelve years old!"

"It's a common tradition for a boy to have his first drink of sake when he begins his journey to become a man. If I'm honest though, you became a man a long time ago. I guess this is a celebration for completing that journey. And besides, there's an unsaid rule to this kind of thing."

Naruto arched his eyebrow in confusion. "What's that?"

"In our world, kids are practically trained from birth to kill. So, there for; if you are old enough to kill, you are old enough have sex and drink."

Naruto opened his mouth to refute Jiraiya's logic and reasoning, but he couldn't. It made sense to him, despite the premise being horribly correct. The man did have a point. Naruto took ahold of the bottle, looked at it for a moment before taking a large gulp of the contents. Despite the horribly bitter taste, Naruto was not turned off to the idea of having another drink. Oddly though, he didn't feel any sudden effects that normally follow the amount of sake he just drank.

Jiraiya chuckled. "I think some of Tsunade's drinking resistance rubbed off on you. That was a pretty big drink."

Naruto wiped the small excess of liquid off the corner of his mouth with his hand. He handed the bottle back and Jiraiya took his own swig of the sake. "This doesn't change anything, sharing a drink doesn't make everything suddenly disappear."

Jiraiya shoved the cork back in the opening of the bottle and placed it back in it's original place on his person. "I didn't expect it to. All I wanted was a chance Naruto. I know it's going to take long time for you to let me back in, I don't blame you for that."

Naruto didn't respond to his godfather's words, he wasn't sure what to say so he left it be.

"By the way, you aren't twelve. Your thirteen."

Naruto looked at Jiraiya confused. "What?"

"You're thirteen. You turned thirteen today."

Naruto looked at his godfather like he was the stupid, then the date clicked in Naruto's head. It was October 10th. He hadn't celebrated his birthday in so long that the day just felt like any other one. But he was kidding himself about celebrating his birthday, even when he stayed with the toads on the mountain. He normally just hid away from the world.

"Get some rest, Naruto. We have a long run ahead of us if we want to get you back in time for your match."


	15. Chapter 15

"This day came way too fast."

Sasuke could only offer a soft grunt in agreement to his pink-haired teammate, it felt like yesterday that he had began his training with Kakashi. He had come so far in the past month. It was finally time to show off how strong he really was. His new style certainly said that the Uchiha had grown, and not just in strength.

Sasuke changed his outfit completely from his normal blue and white attire to a one-piece black version with many small black belts around his bandaged left arm. He wore similar belts around his shins, which were also bandaged to just below his kneecap. He and Sakura were waiting in a different part of the arena with the rest of the participants of the final stage of the Chunin Exams. Well, except for one.

"Naruto's still not here, huh? He's probably going to get disqualified if he doesn't show up soon. What a drag." Shikamaru sighed, he couldn't help feeling a tad disappointed. He actually wanted to watch the blonde fight.

Sakura looked to her left and right, possibly hoping to see her teammate walking up to them. She sighed to herself when her hope didn't come become a reality. If she was completely honest with herself, she was worried about him and the state he left in a month ago. And the fact Naruto left without so much as a word to her or Sasuke worried her even more, Sakura didn't like that. She understood that he had a lot going on and most likely simply forgot to say anything to her or Sasuke but still, they were teammates. Teammates don't keep secrets from each other…well, a lot of secrets.

"Do you really think Naruto wouldn't come?"

Sasuke glanced over to the pinkette. "Nothing is going to stop Naruto from being here. He'll show up."

"I certainly hope you're right, Sasuke!" Lee enthusiastically chimed into the conversation. "I've been looking forward to our match for quite some time. It will serve as a worthy battle to test my skills for when I fight you Neji!"

The Hyuuga prodigy simply smirked. "Don't worry, Lee. Fate has already decided our battles." Neji glanced over to Sakura. The kunoichi suddenly felt a chill run down her spine when she met his pale gaze. She was already nervous about her match with the Hyuuga genius, but the look in his pupil-less made her even more so.

Looking beyond his teammate, Sasuke could see the blank, psychopathic stare of his opponent, Gaara. His teal eyes hadn't left the empty arena below them, Sasuke couldn't tell if he was focused on their match or something else entirely. Sasuke also noticed Gaara's teammate was oddly twitchy, she was very anxious for something. Sasuke wondered why but he figured it was because she was terrified of Gaara.

 **-In the arena-**

Genma Shirauni wasn't exactly sure what the Third Hokage was thinking when he 'volunteered' him to be the proctor for the final stage of the Chunin Exams. There was a major threat to the village with Orochimaru resurfacing and being a part of the Hokage's elite bodyguard team, Genma thought he was better suited somewhere else. Not being a referee for a bunch of kids. This was supposed to be Hayate's job…he still couldn't believe Hayate was dead. The investigation was ongoing, but the murderer hadn't been caught.

The man with the senbon in his mouth and backwards bandana forehead protector looked up towards where the two Kage were seated. The Third Hokage and the Fourth Kazekage had complete view over the entire arena, due to them being up so high. Though, that's not where the tokubetsu jōnin was focusing.

Standing behind the Kazekage was a very tall man with two distinctive red marks on one side of his face while the other side was covered by a sheet that hung from his turban like headgear. He was one of Suna's top jōnin and a member of its advisory council, Baki. He just so happened to be that sand user's sensei as well.

'This isn't right.' Genma thought to himself. 'There are a lot of Suna shinobi here, more than there should be. I'll bet there's even some even in the crowd posing as civilians. I've got a bad feeling.'

Genma looked over to the Hokage, awaiting the signal to begin. The Hokage gave a slight nod to the elite jōnin, and then stood up. Genma pointed up towards the viewing area for the participants and motioned for them to come down into the arena with him.

Sarutobi waited for the genin before he addressed the large crowd.

"People of Konoha, people of Suna, beloved guests! Thank you all for coming to Konoha's Chunin Selection Exam! We will now start the main tournament matches between the eight genin who fought their way through the preliminaries! Please stay until the end and, most of all, enjoy!"

Crowd cheered from their beloved Hokage's speech, it made the old man smile as sat back down in his chair.

"Hm, eight you say? By my count looks like one is missing." The Kazekage pointed out.

The Hokage was fully aware that his favorite genin was not present, he had a feeling this might happen when he learned Jiraiya left with him. The elderly man just hoped he would return at some point. The village needed Naruto more than it realized.

 **-Down in the arena-**

"Alright, I don't want to repeat myself so listen up."

The genin ignored the roaring crowd and tuned into the proctor's words.

"The rules are the same as the preliminaries, since all of you won your matches I don't feel the need to explain them. Make sure you give it your all in your matches, because whether you lose in the first round or win it all you never know what might happen." Genma reached into his pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. He showed it to the group of genin. "This is the order for the first round. The first match will be Rock Lee vs. Naruto Uzumaki."

The genin looked mildly confused at the proctor. Genma noticed this.

"What?"

"Uh, Naruto isn't here." Sakura said faintly, clearly bothered that her teammate was here.

"Oh, in that case then Naruto Uzumaki is dis-"

A sudden burst of white smoke ingulfed a large portion of the arena. Every set of eyes instantly looked at the cloud with great confusion. Some people in the crowd wondered if this was apart of the attraction while others simply wondered what was happening. As the cloud began to disappear, three figures began to appear. Two of the figures were obviously human while the third resembled a frog, a big frog.

The remaining smoke was suddenly blown away by a powerful gust of wind and it revealed Jiraiya and Naruto atop a giant blue and orange frog, encased in battle armor.

"Do not fear, Jiraiya the Gallant is here!"

Everyone stared wide eyed at the sudden extravagant entrance, nobody wasn't really sure what to make of it. Naruto was clearly not amused by his godfather's antics.

"Why did we run all that way just to get reverse summoned here? Please explain that to me." The blonde asked bewildered.

"This is a show, my boy! I am simply playing my part!" The Sannin laughed loud and proud as he posed for some invisible camera.

Naruto let out a very audible, annoyed sigh as he jumped off the frog. He gave the frog a small pat on its back leg, letting the amphibian know he was grateful for the lift, then made his way over to the rest of the genin _._

Jiraiya dropped his pose and looked on at his godson. He smirked in pride. "Go get 'em, son." The Sannin and frog disappeared in another cloud of smoke.

Genma cleared his throat, getting the genin's attention once more. "Now then, since all _eight_ of you are here, we can finally begin. You're up first, blondie."

Naruto nodded and turned towards his opponent, Rock Lee. The excitement could be seen plastered in the boy's face. As the rest of the genin left, Sakura lingered for a moment. She looked her blonde teammate up and down for a moment, before smiling softly. She, then, followed the others. Naruto and Lee stood across each other, both standing ready to fight.

The crowd had mixed feelings about the first match, they were uncertain about the jinchuriki that plagued them for the past six years. They obviously didn't want Naruto to win his match, but some could not deny to wanting to see Naruto fight. Especially against the year's most improved genin. Rumors about the boy's strength were one of the main attractions for the exams. Another just so happened to be the last loyal Uchiha fighting the son of the Kazekage, Gaara of the Sand.

Genma looked at the two genin throwing his hand downward and jumping away. "Fight!"

The speed that which both Naruto and Lee went each other with seemed instant to the naked, untrained eye. Many of the experienced shinobi watching could follow the match without issue but most the civilians were having a bit of trouble. The two fighters clashed in the center of the arena and engaged in a quick-paced hand-to-hand combat bout. It lasted for a few moments before Lee was able to land a strong kick to the side of Naruto's head. The blonde was fast enough to block Lee's kick with his forearm. Naruto, then, used the momentum and used one hand to cartwheel away.

Lee held a smirk, returning to his battle stance. "I am truly impressed, not many can keep up with many movements."

Naruto cracked his neck with the help of his hand. "If you think that was impressive then you'll blown away when I actually get serious."

The smirk on Lee's face turned into another excited smile. "I'd have to say the same, Naruto. I've been looking forward to this for a month. I don't want to be disappointed."

"The only disappoint you'll feel is when I beat you."

"Then let us continue our battle! My blood is boiling with the power of youth!"

 **-With Tenten and Gai-**

"Wow, this Naruto guy is good. His taijutsu is on par with Lee's." The girl said.

The green-clad sensei next to her nodded in agreement. Gai didn't want to admit it but Tenten did have a point. Naruto's level of taijutsu was near Lee's level, but the man knew Lee was better because taijutsu is all Lee knew.

"Do not fret, Tenten. Lee may have found his equal in taijutsu but we both know this fight is far from over. Lee will come out victorious!"

Tenten had gotten used to her sensei's, as he called it, 'youthful cries of joy' over the past year. She paid no mind to the overdramatic man and refocused on the match.

 **-In the arena-**

Lee struck Naruto with a punch to his face. The blonde was able to absorb most of the energy of the strike and use the momentum to fall backwards and throw a kick up as he fell to the ground. Lee dodged the kick and backflipped away. Naruto used his hands to springboard himself back to his feet. Both genin were breathing heavily.

Lee wasn't sure how to feel about his current situation. Not many could match him in hand-to-hand combat like this, only his teammate Neji could fight him on par. And Gai sensei was the only one who could beat him. Lee wasn't sure if he should be frustrated that he was making no progress or if he should be happy that he has found someone new to challenge him. Maybe it was a bit of both.

"This fight isn't gonna end if we continue on like this. Why don't we drop the weights and really go at it?"

Lee looked confused. "You use chakra weights as well?"

"Did you really think I was this fast naturally? You give me too much credit."

"But you are a genius! You must be good at everything!"

Lee instantly noticed a sudden change in Naruto's demeanor, in fact he could almost feel the temperature drop a degree or two. Even the crowd could tell a difference. Genma suddenly felt the urge to keep a hand close to the senbon in his mouth.

"…Don't call me that."

Lee was even more perplexed, he was somewhat hesitate to speak again. "But isn't that what Kabuto called you when he read your info card? If it were up to me-"

"AH!" Naruto snapped. He snapped his wrists down causing his two weighted bracelets to hit the ground with two simultaneous loud thuds. He then kicked his right leg off to the side, a weight fell off. He did the same with his left and another weight hit the ground. The blonde's speed increased greatly and Lee wasn't able dodge Naruto's strong punch to his face that shot him to the ground.

Naruto forcefully grabbed ahold of Lee's collar and pulled him in close. "I am not a genius. I never was and never will be. I'm not a prodigy or have some type of bright future. I'm **ME**. That's it."

Naruto pulled back his fist and went to hit Lee. The blonde was surprised when Lee was able to catch his fist a few inches from his face. Lee pushed back against Naruto's strength and made it back to his feet. Lee kneed Naruto in his stomach and threw him across the arena. Naruto rolled to a stop and saw Lee pulling off his orange leg warmers to reveal a set of his own chakra weights, just like he suspected from back then. It seemed Lee was also no longer messing around, he took out a pair of nun-chucks from one of his leg warmers as well. The taijutsu specialist twirled the weapon around and caught one of the ends under his arm. He took a stance.

"Genius or not. I still have something to prove against you."

Naruto stood to his full height, he took in a deep breath to calm himself and the growing instinct inside him. Lee noticed the void of emotion behind his opponent's eyes. "There is nothing to prove. Not anymore."

Naruto drew a kunai from his weapons pouch and charged at Lee. The two began to battle once more.

 **-Viewing area-**

The genin were all watching the current match with great interest, Sakura and Sasuke more than anyone.

"What's…going on with him?" Sakura questioned, not really expecting an answer. She was more just voicing her thoughts and concern out loud.

Sasuke, with his Sharingan active, did not take his red eyes off the arena. "He's different. I can see that much."

"What do you think happened?"

Sasuke shook his head slightly. "With Naruto, who knows."

Shikamaru couldn't help himself and decided to listen in on Sakura and Sasuke's little conversation. His mind began to wander about their blonde teammate. He and Shikamaru weren't really all that close, in fact the two never held a full conversation as far as Shikamaru could remember. But nevertheless, the blonde still perplexed the Nara boy. Especially the way he was fighting in this match, it didn't fit his regular style.

'Naruto Uzumaki…you are an interesting guy.'

 **-With Naruto and Lee-**

Naruto was able to pin down Lee's nun-chucks with a perfectly thrown kunai. Lee couldn't react fast enough and was smack with a rough punch to the face that launched him across the arena once more. Naruto was not done there and continued the assault, he followed up with a series of punches and kicks that Lee had a hard time dodging.

Somehow, Lee found an opening to counter and hit Naruto up in the air with a strong kick to the chin.

'I cannot miss this chance!' Lee opened the first point.

Lee appeared underneath the airborne Naruto and the bandages around his wrists began to unravel. Lee threw the unwrapped bandages around Naruto and they encased him. Lee grabbed ahold of the restrained Naruto and began rotating at a ferocious speed as they both fell to the ground.

"Primary Lotus!"

At the last second, Lee jumped away as Naruto went head first into the ground and his body disappeared in the rubble. The impact was felt throughout the stadium. The crowd cheered happily for this.

Lee panted heavily, the Primary Lotus was very dangerous technique. It could do just as much damage to the user if done incorrectly. Lee was fortunate enough to perform it right but it still took a lot out of the boy. The main reason was because of the opening of the first gate, the one hundred percent use of his muscles strained him no matter how hard he trained.

Genma was just about to call the match when the rubble began to move apart and Naruto emerged. Blood was dripping from underneath his blue hitaiate. He fiddled with something in his mouth and spat out a tooth.

"Ouch."

Lee was discouraged when he saw Naruto crawl his way out of the rubble. That was one his strongest techniques. "I must say I am surprised you are conscious after that." He panted.

Naruto slowly stood up. "Yeah, me too. I know the inner gates are strong but I didn't think that the first gate would deliver something like that."

"Y-You know about the Eight Inner Gates?"

Naruto nodded, then smirked. "What? Did I just figure out your trump card?"

Lee's head dropped down. "It does not matter if you know, it will not change what I must do!" Lee crossed his forearms and began to emit an enormous amount energy. His skin began to turn a shade of red and veins protruded out of Lee's forehead. "Third Gate: Gate of Life! Open!"

Naruto brought an arm up to shield his face from the waves of energy. He couldn't help feel excitement growing inside him. He was finally going to see the strength of the Inner Gates. 'C'mon! I know you got more than that, Lee!'

The blonde was right. Lee did have more.

"Fourth Gate: Gate of Harm! Open!"

Naruto steeled himself for the fight. He took in a heavy breath, letting it calm his rapidly beating heart. But it did not matter, Lee was now too fast for Naruto to track. The kick caught Naruto completely off guard, it shot him so high in the air it didn't even register in Naruto's mind he had been attacked.

The attacks were so rapid and strong they were causing shockwaves in the wake of each hit. Naruto was hit around the arena like a ball. With one final strong blow, Lee launched Naruto into the arena wall and caused the stadium to shake once more.

Lee collapsed to the ground, clearly exhausted from the use of the ultimate technique. His muscles were torn and bones were cracked. Honestly, it was a miracle Lee was conscious after diving into the fourth gate.

Lee struggled to his knee as the dust cleared. Naruto was deeply embedded into the wall. "You were a very worthy opponent, Naruto Uzumaki. I will never forget our battle."

Genma jumped in. "The winner: Rock-"

"Rasengan!"

Naruto came from the left and struck Lee with a spiraling sphere to his stomach. The jutsu launched Lee across the arena and he stopped at the base of one of the few trees in the field. There was no question, Lee was knocked out instantly. The Naruto that was stuck in the wall burst into a cloud of smoke.

Genma looked at Naruto. 'So, he created a clone, under the protection of the dust, to deal with Lee while the real one stayed hidden in the rubble. That explains why he didn't do much to dodge Lee's attacks.' He signaled for the medical team to come get the defeated boy. 'That was some jutsu though, being able to learn one of the Fourth's techniques is quite impressive.'

"Winner: Naruto Uzumaki!" The proctor declared.

The entire crowd was completely silent, a pin being dropped would've been heard. Every single adult was stunned to silence when they saw Naruto burst out of the ground with the Rasengan in hand. It was a blast from the past for most who could remember the days of the Fourth Hokage, even Sarutobi couldn't believe his eyes. He could've sworn he saw his former friend.

"Will Neji Hyūga and Sakura Haruno come to the arena? Your match is next."

Before Naruto would make his way to the viewing area, he looked up towards where the two kage were sitting. He looked at the Third Hokage. Then off to the far side where Jiraiya was. He slightly shook his head before leaving the arena.

 **-Viewing area-**

Naruto made his way up to the viewing area. He expected to pass both Neji and Sakura but he was surprised to only see Neji walk pass him. The two shared a momentary staring match as they moved passed each other. As Naruto reached the top of the stairs, he could hear Neji call out to him.

"Fate doesn't care if you're a genius or a loser, all that matters is fulfilling all that which you are destined to do. No matter how hard you try, fate always wins. You were fated to beat Lee, as am I fated to beat your teammate. We will see each other in the next round and let fate decide the victor. Then we'll see who knows anything about fate."

Naruto stopped at the top of the stairs and waited for Neji to make it to the bottom of the steps, letting the words sink into his mind. He snickered to himself before finally rejoining with his team. It seemed Sakura was waiting for him before she headed down to the arena. Sasuke was standing off a bit, Naruto figured he was letting Sakura speak to him somewhat privately. Seeing how Sakura was about to have a match and Sasuke would be up there with him, Naruto could see why Sasuke was standing in the corner.

"Naruto…"

The blonde in question leaned up against the railing and gripped it tightly.

"What's…happening with you? Where have you been?"

Naruto looked over to his pink-haired teammate, she came up to him and concern filled her eyes. But the blonde could see that Sakura wanted to scold him for his actions. "It's a big day, Sakura. Don't worry about me right now. We'll talk about it after, okay? All three of us."

"Do you actually mean that this time?"

Naruto slowly nodded. "I promise, once the Chunin Exams are done, I'll tell you everything. Okay?"

Sakura nodded in agreement. She was skeptical but she had to go with Naruto's promise for now. Sakura turned to leave the viewing and made her way down to the arena, Neji was already waiting. Sasuke came up and stood next to Naruto.

"That was some jutsu. What did you call it? Rasengan?"

Naruto figured that's what Sasuke would focus on. "Yeah. Jealous?"

Sasuke snickered. "Hardly."

Naruto grunted himself. "We still on for that fight you want?"

Sasuke glanced off to the side at Naruto with a knowing look in his black eyes. "My mark had nothing to do with that. Settle things in the final round?"

Naruto held out his fist. "Wouldn't have it any other way."

Sasuke smirked, bumping Naruto's fist with his own. "I'll see you there."

 **-With Sakura and Neji-**

The two genin stood across from each other, Genma standing just off to the side. He looked at the two genin, making sure they were both ready, then threw his hand down and jumped away.

"Begin!"

Sakura snatched a pair of shuriken from her weapons pouch and hurled them at Neji. The Hyūga prodigy easily leaned out of the projectile's paths. He simply shook his head, clearly not impressed or threatened.

"My teammate is a weapons specialist, she never misses her mark. You are nothing compared to her."

"Yet, I'm in the finals fighting you and she's in the crowd watching." Sakura retorted.

"It was fate that led to this current situation. Tenten was fated to lose to that Suna kunoichi, just like Lee was fated to lose to your teammate."

"So, let me guess, I'm fated to lose against you?" It was a rhetorical question but Neji answered anyway.

"Precisely. Fate doesn't make mistakes."

"Well then, since I'm _fated_ to lose then I don't need to hold anything back." Sakura charged forward, surprising everyone who was watching.

Neji was perplexed by his opponent's choice to come in close to him, taijutsu was a Hyūga's specialty. Nevertheless, he kept his guard up incase Sakura would try something unexpected. The pinkette launched herself into a spinning kick, Neji casually blocked the blow. Sakura then used Neji's forearm as a springboard to flip over him and land behind him.

Neji quickly turned and blocked another strike. He saw an opening in Sakura's fundamentals of her taijutsu style and capitalized by kicking out her support leg then striking her stomach with his open palm. Sakura rolled with the attack and put distance between her and Neji.

"I commend your courage to fight in such close quarters with me but it will not end well for you."

"Maybe, maybe not. I won't know until I try." Sakura charged again. She kept her left hand hidden at her back.

The pinkette pulled out another pair of shuriken and threw them at Neji. The boy dodged right and moved towards Sakura. He reared his arm back to strike the girl down for good. Suddenly, everything went white and Neji could no longer see. With his vision momentarily blinded, Sakura took advantage of the stumble. Sakura punched Neji in the stomach then slammed her knee into his chin, snapping his head back and causing Neji to fall back to a knee.

Neji kept his eyes shut, trying to surmise the sting in them. He didn't want to use it so early but he didn't have much of a choice at the moment. He could sense another attack coming, one that would cause some real damage. Veins bulged out of Neji's forehead near his temples. Neji dodged Sakura's kick and hit her with another palm strike, this time to her abdomen.

Sakura gasped and held her chest. She stepped back a few feet before dropping to a knee. After a few moments, Neji was able open his pale eyes. His clan's dōjutsu still active. She was in pain but Neji could see a smug grin plastered on Sakura's face.

"Did your fate see that one coming?"

Neji wiped the small, thin line blood from the corner of his mouth. "You'll pay for that." The calmness in Neji's voice caused Sakura's stomach clench slightly.

Neji moved into a very particular taijutsu stance. "Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms."

Sakura tried to move out of the way but it was no use, the pain in her abdomen was too much. The speed at which Neji struck her was too great for Sakura to even comprehend. Before she knew it, all chakra in her system ceased movement. All sixty-four points had been closed off.

"Proctor." Neji called out, moving out of his stance. "This match is over. End it before I must do what fate is telling me."

Just as Genma was about to call the match in favor of Neji, Sakura used her remaining strength to get back to her feet. She was clutching her rib cage and blood dripped from her mouth.

"This again." Neji sighed. The scene was a replica of his match with Hinata.

"I'm…not giving up."

Neji shook his head. "Have it your way."

The Hyūga shot forward. Sakura didn't have the chance to cry out in pain before everything went black. Genma jumped in and pushed Neji away from the unconscious girl. He signaled for the medical team to come get Sakura.

Neji deactivated his Byakugan and turned to leave the arena. He stopped when Naruto landed in front of him. There was a fierce scowl on the blonde's face.

"As I said, she was fated to lose."

"And I don't care. What you did to Sakura and what you tried to do to Hinata…I will beat you. What's your all-powerful fate say to that?"

"It does not matter our motivations for victory, fate ultimately decides."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that."

 **-The medical wing-**

The medical team did what they could for their most recent patient but that wasn't very much. Having one's chakra points sealed off by a Hyūga wasn't something was particularly easy to undo, it took time and a decent amount of chakra to reopen the pathways. Seeing how the points would simply reopen by themselves over time, so the medical staff left Sakura to rest.

Naruto waited outside the room until the last medic left the room. Once Sakura was left alone, he entered the room and closed the door behind him. He approached Sakura's bedside and placed a hand over her chest. He focused his chakra.

'She's got internal bleeding and one of her lungs is punctured. Some medical staff we have. They just assumed her chakra points were the only damage.'

A low growl entered Naruto's mind. **'The girl won't last long. That bleeding will fill her lungs and she'll drown in her own blood before the end of the day.'**

Naruto nodded. 'Will _that_ do the trick?'

The Kyuubi nodded in approval, not that his container could see his notion. **'It will. But remember, using it will cause the feral to grow strong and more difficult to control. Especially calling it for this. Healing her will require more.'**

Naruto didn't respond. He merely held out his hand, as if he was waiting to catch something.

The Kyuubi snickered. **'But that's your plan. You want to hurt this boy.'**

There was a soft, harmonic whistle that echoed throughout the room Naruto was in. Once the sound died down, a bright light flashed and could be seen from outside of the room by the crack at the bottom of the door. A few moments later and Naruto emerged from Sakura's medical room. There was no emotion on his face but the look in his eyes betrayed what he showed.

Naruto was angry and was out for blood.

 **-In the arena with Shikamaru-**

'Man, this is such a drag. Why did I get chosen to fight a girl? Especially _this_ girl?'

Shikamaru was in no way shape or form a bare-knuckle brawler or an outstanding fighter when compared to the likes of Naruto, Rock Lee, and Sasuke but despite his near crippling laziness and love for cloud watching Shikamaru had something none of his peers had. Shikamaru was a true genius, an I.Q of two hundred. And in his case, Shikamaru's genius was his greatest strength and greatest weakness.

Genma looked at the two participants before signaling the match to start. "Begin!"

Temari unclipped her giant fan from the holder on her back. She opened it and slammed it on the ground with a loud thud. "You just gonna stand there all day or are we gonna get this thing started? I've been itching to let loose and watching these fights isn't helping."

"Oh man, you're really revved up about this. What a drag."

Temari wasn't waiting any longer. She charged with giant fan in hand, the way she carried it made the weapon look virtually weightless. She closed the fan at the last second and slammed it where Shikamaru was standing. When the dust cleared it showed Temari had missed her mark and Shikamaru was up on the wall with a kunai under each foot.

"Ya know, I really don't want to fight. I could care less about becoming a chunin or advancing in my ninja career. But if I lose to you, my teammate will never let me live it down and my mom will yell for days. So, I guess I'll do it!"

Shikamaru leapt over his opponent and landed at her back. He placed a piece of paper on the ground with markings all over it. A sudden cloud of smoke appeared and covered the portion of the arena they were in. The cover did not last long because Temari blew the smoke away with one pass of her giant fan. She looked around but could not find Shikamaru.

The Suna kunoichi chuckled. "You're quicker than you look, I'll give you that. But hiding in one of these trees isn't going to save you from me."

Shikamaru rubbed his chin thoughtfully from his hiding spot. He scanned the battlefield thoroughly, looking for any tactical advantage. He was trying to figure out a way to trap Temari with his shadow jutsu while conserving as much chakra as he could. The damage to the area wasn't anything special, there was one crater in the wall on the far end and another crater near the center. Both from Lee's attacks on Naruto that proved to only show case Naruto's amazing durability and great use of the shadow clone technique.

Shikamaru's mind was starting to wander, so much so he looked up to the sky to watch the clouds float on by. He had to squint his eyes due to the sun being so bright.

'Man, the sun is brighter than usual today. Explains why it's been a little hotter lately, too. If only one of the clouds would pick up some wind and cover the sun, the shade would make it easier to watch the rest of the clouds.'

It clicked in Shikamaru's head, a plan had finally formulated that would really save him a lot of chakra.

Temari continually scanned the arena for any sign of her opponent, apparently, he was just good as hiding as he was quick to get there. She knew Shikamaru was hiding in one of the trees but the question was which one. Even if she guessed the right one, the amount of chakra she would have to expend to find him would only hurt her for the next round. Temari was just going to have to wait it out, no matter how much she hated waiting.

The small glisten of something reflective caught Temari's eye from above. She looked up to see a kunai floating by some cloth. Temari looked closer to see another tag wrapped around the handle, she easily tell it was explosive. She could also tell the knot holding the kunai was slipping and becoming undone.

Temari knew if that kunai fell towards her it would explode and give Shikamaru even more cover to do whatever. She reared her fan back and brought it around to blow the kunai away with a strong gust of wind. The wave of wind traveled high, carrying the kunai with it. The tag exploded, only for it be another smoke tag that put a huge shadow over the arena.

Temari realized her mistake and instantly foresaw the ending of the match. Shikamaru was going to use the large shadow that was casted by the smoke cloud to help trap her in his shadow possession technique. Temari saw a part of the field that was still under the sun's rays, it was just between two trees, and made a mad dash towards it. She could feel Shikamaru's shadow hot on her feet.

Just as Temari was about pass between the trees and reach the sunlight, her movements ceased.

" _Kagemane no Jutsu…successful."_

Temari couldn't believe it, there was no way. She still had control over her eyes and she followed the shadow that extended from hers. She expected it to come from her back but it extended out towards the wall in front of her. She followed it up the wall and it led to the crater in the wall. Temari was shocked even further when she saw Shikamaru hidden with the rubble that was still attached to the wall, perfectly in place so he wouldn't be noticed.

"H-How?"

Shikamaru shook of the rubble, causing Temari to mimic his movements. "You thought the sunlight was your safe haven, but it was my plan to draw you closer to me so I didn't have to waste chakra in trying to catch you. So, I used my smoke cloud diversion to create a big enough shadow to make you think I was going to use it as my way to capture you. So, while you ran away, I jumped from my hiding spot in the tree and got into the rubble of this crater to make sure you didn't know where I was and have a better chance at capturing you. But if that didn't work, I had planned to draw in a cloud from that gust of wind you shot into the sky to use the natural shade that would cover up the entire battlefield. And even if that didn't work, I still had the next two hundred moves thought out just in case, ya know a few back up plans."

Temari was wide eyed. 'He planned that far ahead?! In that short amount of time?!'

Shikamaru raised his arm, causing Temari to do the same.

Temari swallowed her pride, she was outmatched. "…I give."

Genma jumped in and signaled for the match over. "Winner: Shikamaru Nara!"

Shikamaru's shadow returned to his person and rubbed his neck with his hand. "Man, what a drag. I didn't think you'd actually say it. I was hoping you'd be a bit more stubborn and then I'd give up. So troublesome."

"Wait! You were going to surrender if I didn't?!" Temari yelled, regaining her movements.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Pretty much. Like I said, I could care less about becoming a chunin. Oh well, not much I can do now."

The Nara boy turned and made his way towards the viewing area, leaving Temari completely dumbfounded and Genma smirking to himself. The proctor waited for the Suna kunoichi to leave the arena before addressing the crowd.

"This is the final match for the first round! Sasuke Uchiha vs. Gaara of the Desert!"

 **-With Sasuke-**

The young Uchiha survivor cracked his neck in anticipation for his match, Sasuke's excitement had been growing with each match he had to watch. He could tell he wasn't the only one who was excited. Gaara has had a wicked smile plastered on his face for the last twenty minutes, at least. Still, Sasuke couldn't wait for his chance to wipe it off that psycho's face.

Sasuke looked to the stairs that led to the viewing area, as if he was expecting someone. Naruto hadn't returned, from what Sasuke could only assume was the infirmary to see how Sakura was doing. The Uchiha boy himself was curious about his teammate's condition but his focus had to be on his opponent, there was no telling what might happen if Sasuke's focus wasn't fully on Gaara.

"Hurry up Sasuke!" Genma called out. Gaara was already waiting in the arena near the proctor.

Sasuke was tired of waiting, as was the crowd. The crowd of Konoha people were chanting for the Sasuke to win. The Uchiha vaulted over the railing and landed gracefully the battlefield, he approached the Suna genin and stood across from him.

Genma looked at the two genin and signaled for the start of the match. "Begin!"

Sand erupted from the giant gourd on Gaara's back and it floated around its master. Sasuke jumped back to create some distance to give him some extra time to figure out how he was going to start his plan. He grabbed a pair of shuriken from his holster on his hip and threw them at Gaara. As Sasuke expected, the sand shield caught the objects. But what surprised him was the fact the shield of sand turned into a clone of Gaara with the shuriken lodged in its knuckles.

The sand clone absorbed the shuriken into its body and shot them out its midsection with great velocity. Sasuke jumped into the air and fell towards Gaara. He planted his foot on the sand clone's face as more sand closed in around him. Sasuke jumped off the clone's head and went through a series of hand seals.

" _Katon: G_ _ō_ _kaky_ _ū_ _no Jutsu!"_

A fireball flew from Sasuke's mouth and exploded on the sand that surrounded Gaara. Black smoke covered Gaara's location and Sasuke dived into the cloud. There was a quick, loud thud before Sasuke jumped back out to a safe distance. The black smoke cleared rather quickly to reveal Gaara nursing a fresh bruise on his cheek.

There was something Sasuke did not expect to see. Gaara was smiling. Possibly more wickedly than before.

"It's been a long time since someone's hit me like that. How I've missed the pain. It makes me feel alive! Come Uchiha! Do not let this feeling go away! Give me more! I want more!"

Sasuke steeled himself but still found himself highly excited for what was to come. The black-haired Uchiha smirked. "With pleasure!"

With great speed, speed that no one knew Sasuke possessed, Sasuke charged at Gaara's ultimate defense. Just barely being able to keep up with Sasuke's speed, the sand blocked multiple strikes that danced around Gaara's person. With each strike the sand defended Gaara the amount of sand was lessened due to the power of each strike and the speed which Sasuke was moving. After about fifteen strikes, Sasuke felt like he was hitting dust in the wind by the time he was able to breach the defense.

Sasuke continued his speed and struck Gaara again, this time with a strong kick to the top of Gaara's head. Gaara's head snapped down from the strike and fell to a knee. The Uchiha backflipped away to a safe distance once more.

Gaara raised his head and laughed psychotically. "Yes, Uchiha, yes! This is what I've been waiting for!" The sand began to surround Gaara in a ball like fashion, the last thing Sasuke saw of Gaara was his teal eyes and psycho smile.

Gaara encased himself inside a solid ball of sand.

Sasuke examined the sand thoroughly. 'He's using all his sand to protect himself. It's packed together so tightly that it's hard as rock. An ultimate defense for sure. Attacking it straight up won't get me anywhere…I guess I'll have to use it early.'

 **-With Gai-**

The taijutsu master watched the fight with great interest. Gai couldn't help but notice Sasuke's movements were similar to that of his own student and the boy he just lost too. But to gain that type of speed in just over a month seemed to farfetched, even for Kakashi.

"Hey Kakashi, Sasuke's speed…why does it remind me of Lee's?"

The silver-haired jōnin lowered his orange book slightly and looked at the back of his rival's head. He was seated in the row behind Gai and his female student. "Well, I had Sasuke use his Sharingan to copy Lee's and Naruto's speed when they fought in their match. Also, I trained Sasuke with chakra weights. His plan is to mix in the speed he's gained with the speed with he copied so he won't waste stamina and chakra."

"But speed and taijutsu aren't enough to beat that sand. It's becoming clear the longer the fight goes on." Gai added.

"I didn't expect it to. That's why I gave Sasuke the ace."

Gai turned around completely. The man could tell Kakashi was hinting at something more. "You don't mean…"

Kakashi continued where he left off in his book. "Naruto wasn't the only one to learn a new jutsu."

 **-With Sasuke-**

Sasuke was now perched on top of the arena wall. He put a lot of distance between him and Gaara. The jutsu he was going to use was going to take time to create. Right now, that's all Sasuke had was time. Three hands seals were quickly executed. He placed his left hand down with his palm facing the ground as his right hand held his wrist from the underside. Lightning erupted around Sasuke's left hand, it sounded like one thousand birds were trapped inside the palm of his hand.

Sasuke's eyes flared with the Sharingan as he charged towards Gaara, leaving a craved path from the jutsu in the wall. He jumped off the wall and fell towards Gaara's defense. He threw his hand to his front.

"Chidori!"

Sasuke's hand pierced the wall of sand with little resistance, like a hot knife cutting through soft butter. Sasuke felt his hand stop suddenly just as he penetrated the sand, he smirked in triumph when he felt a warm liquid run down between his fingers.

"I got you…you're done."

The barrier of sand began to slowly decay and fall apart into it's original state of matter. Sasuke stayed in his stance until he saw the damage he caused. Sasuke's lightning jutsu had stabbed Gaara in his right shoulder, blood was pouring out the fresh wound. Sasuke smiled as he slowly extracted his hand from Gaara's body.

Gaara looked down at his wound, true unrivaled shock filled his features as he rubbed his mobile hand over the wound. He brought his blood-soaked hand to eye level. A ear drum shattering scream echoed through the stadium.

"BLOOD! MY BLOOD!" Gaara's eyes glossed over and rolled to the back of his head. His body went limp and he collapsed on the ground.

Genma jumped into the fray, signaling for the medical team as he did so. "Winner: Sasuke Uchiha!"

The crowd cheered with complete joy and excitement. All the participants left in the exams were Konoha shinobi and the crowd loved that fact, even if one of them was the demon they hated.

Genma waited for the arena to clear of the medical team with Gaara on a stretcher and for Sasuke to be back in the viewing area. "There will be a thirty-minute intermission before the start of the next match, which will be Naruto Uzumaki vs. Neji Hyūga!"

 **-With Sasuke-**

The victorious Sasuke strolled up the stairs and walking into the viewing area where the rest of the winners were waiting. A small part of him was glad to see his blonde-haired teammate had returned, but the second Sasuke laid his eyes on him he knew something wasn't right. Just the way Naruto was staring off into the distance and how hard he was gripping his biceps in his crossed arm stance, the Uchiha could tell Naruto was very, very angry.

"Naruto?"

The blonde gave no indication that he had heard Sasuke say his name but Sasuke knew that he did.

"Is Sakura alright?"

It was a very slight nod. "She's fine. She should be waking up soon."

Sasuke could hear the growl in Naruto's voice. It was low and deep, a menacing sound that fit in Naruto's voice yet wasn't something Sasuke was used to hearing.

"Hey…what's gotten into you?"

Naruto slowly turned his gaze to the lone Hyūga in the corner of the small platform. There was a small smirk adorning Neji's features. "Fate doesn't decide anything. I'm going to beat that into Neji for what he did to Sakura and Hinata."

Sasuke looked at his teammate. "Remember on the bridge, during our mission to the Land of Waves, I asked you what Sakura means to you. Mind answering that question now."

Again, Naruto gave no indication he'd say or do anything to answer Sasuke's curiosity, but, to Sasuke's surprise, Naruto reached inside his jacket and pulled a thin piece of clear material. He held it out for a moment, looking at it longingly, before handing it off to Sasuke to examine. Sasuke was both surprised and confused by what he now held. It was a laminated flower, a yellow lily. It must've been preserved early on in its life because the decay on the flower was hardly existent. Sasuke didn't know much about flowers but he could easily have mistaken this flower for freshly picked.

"What…what is this?"

"It's a flower, Sasuke. Y'know, a plant that grows out of the ground."

"No shit dobe, I mean what are you doing carrying around a laminated flower? And does this have to do with Sakura and what's going on between you two?"

"There's nothing going on between us, Sasuke. I'm pretty sure nothing ever will be between us. But that flower was given to me day I came to the village. I was fresh off my first…experience with the villagers and had no one there to help me. I was alone, until Sakura found me. She had just finished picking flowers and gave me one to cheer me up. Yellow lilies are her favorite, y'know? Then her mom came and pulled her away, told her stay away from me. Sakura dropped the rest of her flowers."

Sasuke looked at the preserved yellow flower in his hand, then back at Naruto. He didn't want to say anything, he was too invested in his teammate's tale. The way Naruto was talking, the way Sasuke could hear the longing in his teammate's voice. Sasuke was gathering there was something more to this.

"I carry that flower as a reminder of the promise I made to myself to protect Sakura as much as I can. To be her shield, and no matter what always be there to guard her from the darkness that I feel within me. She saved me, Sasuke. She saved me before I could ever turn into something that could cause any real damage to myself or others."

'The darkness I feel within myself…cause damage to myself and others…' The words echoed in Sasuke's mind.

Sasuke thought about Sakura's behavior over the course of their time of the academy and time together as Team Seven. The girl was always fix aided on him and not their blonde teammate, who she supposedly saved with the gift of the yellow lily. Why would Sakura have such of an obsession on Sasuke if Naruto held her in such high regard, to the point Naruto would promise to protect Sakura? Then it dawned on the Uchiha.

"She doesn't remember, does she?"

"…No, she doesn't. Her parent's mean a great deal to Sakura and I bet she unintentionally forgot about meeting me when her parents got angry with her."

Sasuke nodded. He was aware how much Sakura loved her parents; their words were law to Sakura. Honestly, from what she's told them, Sasuke was a bit surprised Sakura's parents put her in the ninja academy, despite them both being former shinobi themselves. Sakura said her parents were just being overprotective.

"I'm curious why you haven't said anything, but I can already guess it's because you don't want her to know."

"It's not that I don't want her to know, it's just…it doesn't matter. Regardless, if Sakura knows or not, I'll keep my promise…I don't break my promises."

Naruto stuck out his hand, telling Sasuke that he wanted his persevered plant back. Sasuke nodded and handed the laminated flower back to its owner. Naruto placed it back in his jacket pocket.

"Gaara give you much trouble?"

Sasuke smirked. "Did you think I'd lose to him? I thought you knew me better."

Sasuke expected a sly comeback but there wasn't much emotion present on the blonde Uzumaki. The lack of emotion just proved to the Uchiha how much this promise truly meant to Naruto. Sasuke had never seen Naruto this serious before.

The more Sasuke learned about Naruto's inner turmoil and past…

The more Sasuke realized he and Naruto were so much alike…


	16. Chapter 16

"Naruto Uzumaki and Neji Hyūga get your asses down here!" Genma called out. The thirty-minute intermission was up and it was time to begin the second round.

The blonde Uzumaki wasted no time in vaulting over the railing of the viewing area, he landed with a great thud as dust jumped up from the ground as he hit. He was in no mood to wait any longer, thirty minutes had been far too long for this.

Neji wasn't far behind of Naruto, though the Hyūga took the stairs. He came out of the hallway and walked onto the battlefield. Naruto was waiting next to Genma as the Hyūga prodigy walked up to them. The crowd was very interested in this match, it was quiet enough to hear any conversation between the two could be heard.

Genma looked from genin to the other. He could feel the contempt radiating off both of them, most of it was coming from the blonde one. The proctor didn't have to think very hard about why or how. "The second round begins now! Begin!" Genma jumped back to safe distance, as per usual. A second later, the two genins were gone.

Sound…sound was the only thing that alerted most the audience that the match had begun. Most of the crowd could only hear the clash of metal, indicating that the boys had already taken out weapons. Even some of the shinobi were having some trouble following the fight, all they could see half the time were blurs. This surprised the crowd, they did not expect Neji to have such speed when compared to what they saw in Naruto from his match against Lee. This indicated further that Neji held back in his match against Sakura.

The two genin finally stopped in the middle of the arena, their kunai clashing against each other in a power struggle. Their clothes were already becoming ragged and torn from the backlash of their attacks. This caused the crowd to wonder how much strength they were putting into their attacks, even the Third Hokage was surprised by this.

Sarutobi looked to his left. Jiraiya had been standing on the ledge of the arena wall since he arrived and spared no words towards him. The Sannin's expression remained hard and stoic for most of the time he had been there, the Hokage caught his student's expression soften once or twice during Naruto's match against Lee. Even a proud smirk when he won with Minato's signature technique.

The aging Hokage knew it was an inevitability for Naruto to learn his father's techniques, but he did not except to happen so early. This made Hiruzen wonder if the boy knew the truth about his heritage. There was no doubt in Sarutobi's mind that Naruto had suspicions about his parenthood.

'Please forgive me, Minato…I did what I thought was right for the village. I'm sorry for the torment that I've caused your beloved son…'

 **-With Naruto-**

'I figured Neji had better taijutsu than Lee, but his armed combat is better than mine. I've been on the defensive the whole time…let's change that.'

Naruto let off his strength a bit, allowing Neji to come in slightly. He used that to headbutt Neji square in the forehead, their hitaiates clashing with a loud clang. The Hyūga stumbled back but it was clear he was not as affected as Naruto hoped he would be.

Neji gathered chakra in his index and middle fingers on his right hand and jammed them into his opponent's chest, precisely one-inch to the right of his heart. This caused Naruto clutch his chest and step backward.

Neji waited for Naruto to regain himself as he stood in a particular stance, he waited for just the right moment to counter Naruto's charge at him. He began to spin rapidly and emit chakra from every chakra point in his body. A blue chakra dome appeared around the Hyūga and caused Naruto to be launched back from the hit.

" _Kaiten!"_ (Rotation/Revolving Heaven)

The chakra dome began to disappear as Neji slowed down his spinning, he stood in a small crater that his dome created. Naruto regained himself and stood up to a knee. He wiped the blood from his lips.

"Now that's something. I've never seen someone exert chakra from every chakra point in their body like that."

"It's a Hyūga Main House secret technique, known only to the leader of the clan and the clan's heir. Not by some low genin of the Branch family."

"I sensing some bitter feelings towards your family." Naruto spat. "I have a pretty good feeling why, though." He stood to his full height and went through a series of hand seals.

The veins around Neji's eyes began to protrude. He could see the chakra gathering in Naruto's mouth, he got back into his stance as he waited for the attack to come. Naruto took in a heavy breath and gathered chakra in his mouth.

" _Katon: Karyūdan!"_

A large bullet of fire shot out of Naruto's mouth and engulfed Neji. It began to swirl around and the spinning blue dome of chakra appeared at the center of the flames. Neji dispersed the dome with a surge that put out the flames near him.

"That _Kaiten_ must take a lot of chakra to use, not to mention the extreme chakra control you need to attempt something like that. I wonder how long you can keep it up before you have nothing left."

Neji chuckled, his Byakugan glaring at his opponent. "Long enough for fate to take its course in this battle."

"Fate has nothing to do with our fight or what you did to Sakura. You damn near killed her."

"Then that was her fate. You cannot change your fate."

Naruto's fist began to tighten. "It's not your place to decide who someone is, or decide it's someone's time to die."

"Then our lives as shinobi mean nothing. We are soldiers who are sent to eliminate threats to our village by any means necessary. That is the point of this whole exam, learning who has what it takes to do what is needed."

Naruto smirked. "You may have a point. But I can't let what you did to Sakura go, I'm going to make you pay for that."

"I never thought of you as someone who entertains the idea of revenge."

"It's not revenge, it's a promise."

"Hm. Promises don't change fate."

Naruto groaned. "Enough with this fate bullshit. Let's just get on with this."

Neji just shook his head. "Have it your way. Fate has already told me what I must do."

Neji lowered his body and tilting it forward with his right arm stretched back. Naruto sensed his opponent's chakra being concentrated and prepared himself for what was coming.

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms."

Neji rushed forward.

"Two Palm!"

The first two strikes were met by Naruto's forearms, causing them to miss their intended targets.

"Four Palm!"

Only one of the strikes hit, Naruto managed to dodge the others.

"Eight Palm!"

Half of the strikes landed, Naruto's ability to dodge surprised Neji.

"Sixteen Palm!"

Neji became frustrated when only seven strikes hit, the Hyūga pushed his body even further. He pushed more chakra to his arms to generate more speed.

"Thirty-two Palm!"

Twenty strikes hit. The blonde had stopped some of the strikes and dodged the rest before they were able to hit their intended target.

"Sixty-four Palm!"

Neji pushed his body to it's limit, landing fifty total strikes on Naruto. He followed his final strike on his chakra points with a strong palm strike to Naruto's stomach that sent him crashing back onto the ground. The audience cheered for this, they loved seeing the demon brat being struck down by the beloved Hyūga clan prodigy.

The cheers and roar of the crowd quickly stopped and went silent as Naruto slowly made it back to his feet. He wiped more blood from his mouth. He could feel many of his chakra points were closed off, making it very difficult to regulate his chakra through his body.

"You think fate is bullshit? Take a closer look at reality! People are chosen by destiny, you don't simply become something by trying. People can only live in their own unchangeable flow. The only destiny that everyone shares is death. The only one."

Neji looked at Naruto and could see something resembling a smile on his face. "You want to talk about reality? Unchangeable flow? Let me tell you a little story about _reality_ , Neji. At the age of six years old, I was left here in this village alone. The only person that ever cared for me left on a lie. Now? He's back and wants to make amends for six long years of daily torture and torment. Is that an unchangeable flow to you and your _fate?_ The reality of this…of my life is that no matter what I do will never change this village's opinion of me. All because of one decision I had no say in."

Neji remained silent and let Naruto continue with his rant. The Hyūga tried to decipher what the blonde was saying but continued to be confused. He stared at the blonde, he was surprised when Naruto suddenly met his gaze.

"Those eyes…they are the reason for your praise. Your mastery with them sets you aside from the rest and causes others, your clan, to be proud of your accomplishments. Your eyes are what make you special and praised. What makes me special… **condemns** me until the day I die."

Neji's Byakugan noticed something deep inside Naruto among the mass blue chakra that swirled at his stomach another chakra began to grow. The first thing he noticed about this new chakra was its color, it was red. As far as Neji knew, chakra was only blue in color through the eyes of his Byakugan. It shocked him further when it began to expand throughout Naruto's chakra pathways, reopening up Naruto's recently closed chakra points.

'Impossible! What is this chakra?!'

The red chakra began to leak out of Naruto's body as his chakra points were reopened, his wounds rapidly healing. Neji gasped when he noticed nine separate columns of chakra that resembled tails stemming out from the ground around Naruto. The chakra tails whipped around, strong winds and waves of energy ravished the arena. Neji brought his forearms up to shield himself.

'What…what the hell is this?!'

The strong chakra winds quickly died down and the tails disappeared into nothingness, leaving Naruto completely healed from his injuries and his chakra points reopened. His whisker marks had darkened and his pupils in his eyes were now long, vertical slits.

"If fate was truly _the_ deciding factor…how could I be fated to live such a life? A life filled with nothing but lies, pain and, loneliness?"

Neji took another defensive stance and prepared himself for Naruto's charge. The blonde closed the distance with even greater speed than before. Neji had the realization to block the punch but he had a feeling that's what his opponent wanted.

"I know about your Caged Bird seal." Naruto whispered.

Neji blocked Naruto's next punch on pure instinct alone, he was too shocked by what he just heard. "H-How do you know about that?!"

The blonde jinchuriki smirked. "The Sandaime told me about it a few years back when he tried to give me a lesson on fuinjutsu. That lesson didn't amount to much but it did me some insight on the Hyūga clan."

Neji narrowed his eyes. "What kind of insight?"

Naruto stepped back slightly and went for a kick to Neji's abdomen. The Hyūga absorbed most of the attack with his forearms. "A hate for one's family."

Neji stood his ground as he racked his brain to try and figure out what exactly Naruto had been trying to say over the past few minutes. Neji felt as if Naruto was finally letting out a lot of his deep, bottled up thoughts and feelings because of how scattered yet interconnected they were.

"The Main House of the Hyūga clan maybe blood but they are not my family. Not after what the Main House did to my father! They let him be killed in Lord Hiashi's place the night Lady Hinata was kidnapped by that Kumo shinobi."

Naruto was aware of the incident that Neji was talking about due to a history scroll he once read. A Kumogakure shinobi leader came to Konoha to discuss a peace treaty between the two lands in the years after the Third Great War. After a treaty had been signed, that same Kumo shinobi attempted to kidnap Hinata, the Hyūga clan's heiress. That kidnapping was foiled by the girl's father, the leader of the Hyūga clan, Hiashi.

But Kumogakure demanded Konoha be at fault for the death of one their shinobi leaders because the Raikage, Kumogakure's village leader, insisted his shinobi leader acted alone. This caused the peace treaty to be disbanded and the bickering began again, nearly causing another war. Kumogakure gave one final demand, the body of Hiashi Hyūga.

Naruto looked up into the stands and found where Hiashi, and his youngest daughter Hanabi, was sitting. The man was very much alive and obviously not in a Kumo jail cell. And the fact that Neji said his father was killed in Hiashi's place meant one thing.

"So, you're the nephew of the Hyūga clan's leader, and your father was Hiashi's identical twin brother."

Neji was slightly impressed by the fact Naruto had pieced all that together, but he did not let it show. "Yes. Lord Hiashi was born first, only by a few moments, making him apart of the Main House and my father a member of the Branch House. It was destiny that decided my father's death. Hiashi being born first sealed my father's fate without him even being born yet. That's the fate of every Hyūga Branch House member, to live and die for the sole reason to keep the Main House alive and the secrets of the Hyūga clan unknown to the rest of the world."

Naruto raised his head slightly in confusion. "Your Byakugan?"

Neji nodded. "The Caged Bird seal not only has the ability to kill with a simple hand seal but it also seals away the Byakugan just after death. So that our bloodline cannot fall into enemy hands."

Naruto took in this new information. He was not surprised by the fact the Hyūga clan would do something like this. Clans had been going to the extremes to keep their secrets hidden for ages, they were clan secrets for a reason. In the Hyūga's situation, the Byakugan's abilities were very well documented and even more sought after. There were multiple cases of grave robbers digging up the graves of deceased Hyūga and robbing the bodies of their pupil-less eyes. Only to find the dōjutsu was long gone.

"So, the reason you believe fate is the ultimate decider is because your father was born a few minutes after your uncle…and here I thought we could come to an understanding for a moment. I guess I'll just stick to my original plan."

Neji glared down at his opponent. "Your plan? And what would that be?"

Naruto met Neji's glare and the Hyūga did not expect to feel such anger behind the blonde's eyes. "Breaking you."

Naruto closed the distance between them with his right hand corked back. He unleashed a fury of attacks at the Hyūga prodigy. Neji dodged his way through most of the strikes but Naruto was able to deal quite a bit of damage. It seemed Naruto's growing anger was leaking through his punches. Still, Neji could not get his mind off what he was just told.

"You're going to _break_ me?"

Naruto threw more strength into his strikes and landed some heavy hits on Neji. The Hyūga couldn't do much to dodge these attacks and just simply absorbed them, causing him to be pushed back. "You sought to destroy one of the few things I hold dear to me, a promise that keeps me whole. That is something I will never let happen."

Neji cocked a smirk. He knew that Sakura held some type of importance to the blonde even before his match with her. "It was not my fault for her defeat, she was the one who didn't stay down."

"And what about Hinata? You tried to do the same thing to her and she didn't stay down."

"Both were fated to lose to me. Just like you." Neji moved back into his taijutsu stance, gearing up for another bout.

Naruto followed suit and stood in his own stance. A soft wind blew between the two genin as they charged at one another, determined to win.

 **-Infirmary with Ino-**

Ino was starting to get frustrated with the layout of the medical wing of the Chunin Exam stadium, there were so many unnecessary turns and empty rooms that it felt impossible to find someone or something in this place. To be fair, Ino would've had a much easier time trying to find her best friend in this pointless maze if she had followed the medical team that carried Sakura off the field like Ino wanted to do, but Shikamaru's match was next and there was no way in hell Ino was going to miss Sasuke's match after that.

The entire time Ino cheered for Shikamaru and Sasuke in their respective matches her mind could not get off Sakura's condition and what her injuries were. Ino and Sakura had been close friends for many years and never had Ino seen Sakura so beaten to the point she was. Still, Ino couldn't help be feel proud for Sakura. She went up against an opponent who clearly outmatched her and was defiant to the bitter end.

After what felt like hours, Ino finally managed to find her way through the maze of hallways to Sakura's infirmary room. The platinum-blonde kunoichi didn't bother to knock, she figured Sakura would be completely knocked out. Ino was pleasantly surprised to open the door to see Sakura sitting up in her bed, holding her head with her hand.

"Sakura, you're okay!"

At the loud exclamation, Sakura winced. "Can you be any louder, Ino-pig? I don't think the people on the other side of the village heard you."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Whatever billboard brow. I'm just glad you're awake, I didn't expect it so soon. Neji really came at you hard."

Sakura continued to massage her forehead and temples, the headache she was having was possibly the worst in her life. "Yeah, he was stronger than I thought. I think I pissed him off with that flashbang and he got serious. I didn't even get to try any of my strategies Kurenai sensei and Hinata helped me come up with."

Ino could tell Sakura was frustrated with her performance in her match. Honestly, she would be too if their roles were reversed. "You still should be proud, Sakura. Not to downplay your abilities but Neji is the pride of the Hyūga clan. He's way too strong for someone our age, only the likes of Sasuke, Naruto, and that Gaara guy are strong enough to fight him. The way you handled yourself in that situation was far beyond anything I could've done. You were even able to hit him and make him use one of his strongest abilities. That's something to be proud of."

Sakura glanced over to her long-time best friend. Ino had a very valid point. She saw what Ino was trying to get at and realized, despite the loss, her performance was anything but subpar. "I guess you have a point."

Sure, Sakura had plans to possibly beat the Hyūga prodigy but those plans were dependent on how Sakura was able to last in the match. All in all, Sakura was proud of her match but knew she really needed to step up her training if she ever wanted to catch up to Naruto and Sasuke. Speaking of which…

"Did Sasuke win his match?"

Ino nodded furiously. "Of course, he did! Did you really think our Sasuke would lose to that sand weirdo?"

Sakura smiled. "No. Sasuke is way too strong for him."

Ino nodded again. "Even Shikamaru won his match against that Suna kunoichi, Temari. Whether he wanted to or not." She giggled at the end of her sentence, finding the humor in the end of her teammate's match.

"Still lazy as ever?"

"Is that even a question?"

Sakura knew Shikamaru would probably never change and break his habit of laziness. It's just who the boy was. "And what of Naruto? I know he beat Lee and that means he'll be fighting Neji in the next round since I lost."

Ino tilted her head slightly to the side in confusion. "What do you mean, Sakura?"

"Did he seem, y'know, different?"

Ino shrugged slightly, crossing her arms. "I'm not really sure, you know how hard it is to get a read on him. Though, he did seem pretty pissed after your match. I think he followed the medical team when they took you out of the arena."

"R-Really?"

Ino nodded. "Yup."

Sakura couldn't help the faint blush on her cheeks. 'He always makes sure I'm okay…he's really sweet.'

"I think his match with Neji already started. We should be able to catch the end of it if we hurry back."

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts. She definitely wasn't going to miss Naruto beat Neji. She moved to get off the bed but stopped. She expected to feel unbearably sore from her match, but she could move just as freely as normal. Did she heal that quickly? Or was this the doing of the medical team?

"You good Sakura?"

Sakura looked at Ino. "Yeah, I'm fine…actually I'm better than fine. I feel better than ever."

"Really? You aren't injured or anything? Nothing at all?"

Sakura moved off the bed completely and stretched her limbs, she felt no ill effects. Minus the head-splitting headache. "I'm completely healed."

"Wow…our medical ninjas are really something if they reopened your chakra points and healed your injuries. That's pretty impressive." Ino looked over Sakura just to double check if anything was wrong with her. That's when she finally noticed something among Sakura's clothes. There was a small cut just under her left breast, just above her rib cage. It was a clean cut with no frayed edges, that meant the incision was slow and precise. "What's that?" Ino pointed towards the mark.

Sakura followed to where Ino was pointing. She ran her fingers over the cut and felt a small scar from the incision. "I-I'm not sure. I don't remember getting cut in my match."

"Hm. Must be from the nurses, probably did it by accident."

Sakura thought that was the logical and most likely explanation for this small tear in her clothes, but that didn't explain the small actual scar in her skin. She almost didn't notice at first but she knew her body and what it felt like, the scar wasn't there before her match. To add even more to her confusion, there was a soft melody stuck in her head. It was harmonic and smooth yet she felt something behind it. Was it the cause of her headache? Or something else entirely?

"C'mon, let's go Sakura!" Ino yelled as she left the room.

Sakura snapped out of her infirmary room. "Hey! Wait up!"

 **-In the arena-**

Naruto and Neji continued to dash around the battlefield, sparks being left in the wake of their clashing weapons. Their latest clash actually broke Naruto's kunai and gave Neji a clear opening for a kill shot. Using his superior dodging skills, Naruto evaded the jab and disarmed Neji by smacking out of his hand. A small opening was made and Naruto went for it, his fist was stopped however by a thin layer of chakra. A chakra dome appeared around Neji and he began spinning at a high speed. The dome reversed Naruto's momentum and launched back. The blonde rolled back to his feet once he hit the ground.

'That damn _Kaiten_ is seriously strong. It not only blocked my attack but completely reversed my momentum and used it against me. It'll need something pretty strong to break through it.'

Naruto had just the thing to beat that defense.

Naruto looked up from his roll and realized Neji was closing the distance between them, and Naruto could tell his opponent was coming in for another attempt on his chakra points. But Neji was far too tired to strike him like that again, Naruto could see that much by the misplacement of Neji's feet when he got in his taijutsu stance. Naruto unloaded a perfectly timed punch that disrupted Neji's stance and shot the Hyūga back.

Both genin were left staggered and heaving for air, it seemed this match was coming to an end.

"I thought you were going to break me?" Neji gasped between deep breaths.

Naruto wiped the sweat away from his eyes. "Trust me, _I will._ "

Neji took in more deep breath, regaining control over it, before resuming his usual stance. "Then quit stalling. This match is far from over."

Naruto stood from his crouch. "Actually, it's just about over, Neji." The blonde held his right hand out in front of him. He began to rapid hit certain spots around his hand in a circular fashion until a blue spiraling sphere was formed in his palm.

Neji tensed up and prepared himself for what was coming. From what he gathered from watching Lee get hit with this technique was this: Don't get hit with it. It would be game over.

Naruto charged and closed the distance. Neji already began to spin, the chakra dome forming.

" _Kaiten!"_

" _Rasengan!"_

The two techniques clashed with great strength and caused a massive shockwave throughout the stadium. Most of the crowd had to shield themselves from the sudden energy. A large explosion occurred a few seconds after the clash and blinded the audience with a cloud of dust. Once that dust disappeared, it was unclear who the winner was.

Neji stood in a small crater that his jutsu created and Naruto stood with his hand stretched out. Both genin, somehow, withstood the explosion their clash created and stayed perfectly in place. It took a few moments before they both began to falter and collapse to the ground.

Genma jumped into the devastation and was about to call the match a tie when he heard movement to his right. He looked over and saw Naruto struggling back to his feet. Genma was thoroughly surprised by this. 'This kid's durability is off the charts. Withstanding this _and_ what happened in his previous match is positively insane. He actually might have what it takes learn all of _his_ techniques.'

Naruto dragged himself over to the fallen Hyūga prodigy, who was still somehow conscious, and fell to his knee next to him. Genma waited to call the match, he wanted to hear what the blonde had to say.

"…H-How is this possible? It was d-destiny-"

"Destiny is bullshit, Neji. There is nothing in this world that can tell you who or what you can be. If that were true then I wouldn't be here." Naruto looked up to the viewing area and saw that Sakura had fully recovered from her own match from Neji. He could see her cheering for him but he couldn't make out what she was yelling. "It wasn't fate."

"W-What?"

"It wasn't fate that kept me from the darkness. It was just the goodness in a little girl's heart to share her favorite flower because a little boy's world had just come crashing down." Naruto pushed himself back to his feet and began walking towards the exit.

Genma took that as a signal. He motioned for the medical team to come check on the defeated boy. "This match is over. Winner: Naruto Uzumaki! He will advance to the finals!"

The crowd was skeptical about the blonde's victory over the pride of the beloved Hyūga clan. It obviously was a fair fight and the demon brat flat out overpowered the Hyūga prodigy with that spiraling sphere technique from the Fourth Hokage's arsenal. It was strange. The more the crowd watched Naruto fight, the more they were reminded of their beloved, late Hokage.

Naruto climbed the stairwell that led to the viewing area, using the railing as a way to help his ascension more than he would've liked. By the time he made it to the top, Shikamaru and Sasuke were already making their way down to the arena for their match. Shikamaru gave a respectful nod towards the blonde, while Sasuke stuck out his fist and bumped it with Naruto's.

"See you in the finals, dobe."

Naruto smiled at his teammate, relating the same message in his notion. The blonde would've liked to exchange in some playful banter but Sasuke needed to stay focused on his match. Shikamaru would no doubt be a tough opponent, especially since Shikamaru was able to learn from Sasuke's match against Gaara.

Once Naruto made it to the top of the stairs and entered the viewing area, Sakura was the only one up there. He couldn't help the small smile that graced his lips. He was glad Sakura had recovered and his little trick actually worked.

"Naruto! You did it!" Sakura exclaimed as she rushed to him. She took a quick glance at her teammate and instantly noticed his main injury. "Look at your hand, Naruto! It's a mangled mess."

Naruto wasn't sure what his pink-haired teammate was talking about until he looked down at his right hand and realized she was right, it was a mangled mess. Blood dripped from underneath every single one of his fingernails and his hand, itself, looked like it was held over a fire and cooked. His skin was red and irritated, it was then he finally realized how much pain his hand was in.

"Must've been the backlash of my clash with Neji. His _Kaiten_ was trying to reverse my strength but I guess my _Rasengan_ was too strong for that."

Sakura nodded. "There's no way you can fight in your next match with your hand like that. Give it here."

Naruto looked skeptical about letting Sakura take a closer look at his arm, but a stern glare gave Naruto the push to lift his arm up. The pinkette examined the blonde's arm for moment before going through a series of hand seals. Once she executed the final seal, her hands began to glow an emerald green color and hovered her hands over Naruto's injured appendage. Naruto couldn't help but notice the glow matched the girl's eyes.

Sakura focused her chakra and began to heal Naruto's injured hand, it was slow but Naruto felt the pain subside. The sensation he felt from Sakura's was warm and very calming. Was this what it felt like to have a medical ninja heal you? He wasn't awake for the first time, or frankly didn't remember. But it was a sensation he could easily get used to and lost in the bliss of it. He was accustomed to the burn that came with the healing factor that the Kyuubi 'blessed' him.

"You've gotten better with these medical techniques."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks. I practiced them a lot in my spare time when I wasn't training with Kurenai sensei. I took in some injured birds I found and practiced on them. My mom freaked when one of them got loose in the house. We needed to replace a window after that one."

From the few of the stories Sakura has told about her mother, Naruto knew his teammate was not lying or exaggerating. "How are you feeling from your match?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders slightly, keeping her hands firmly hovered above Naruto's injured hand. "I can't say I feel good after losing so quick but I'm trying to reflect on the positives of what I did. Physically, I feel great. Besides waking up with the worst possible headache, I woke up feeling completely rested and I'm having no trouble using my chakra, as you can tell. We have really good medical ninja if they were able to heal me completely and reverse the affects on my chakra system. Feeling and seeing their work first hand makes me really want to be a medical ninja even more."

Naruto internally rolled his eyes at Sakura statement about Konoha's medical team. Sure, they had talent and were fully capable of saving lives but Sakura would've died from her injuries if he hadn't done _that_ to heal her. In fact, Naruto was positive if Sakura was aware of the state the nurses left her in it would only kill Sakura's drive to be a medical ninja. The girl obviously was trying to be one and he would not do anything to hinder Sakura's drive. But that would involve telling her about what he did and what he held…now wasn't the time for that.

"That's…that's really great, Sakura. I have no doubt you'll become one of the best."

Sakura smiled, her cheeks reddening from the praise. "Thanks Naruto. Congratulations on making it to the finals. You deserve it."

Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly in a rare moment of embarrassment. "Thanks."

The two teammates sat in silence as they looked down into the arena to watch Sasuke and Shikamaru fight for the other spot in the final match.

 **-In the arena-**

None in the crowd could deny that this next match was an interesting one. Sasuke and Shikamaru, despite his laziness, were at the top of the list when it came to possible chunin candidates at the beginning exam. The two members of their prestigious clans were both thought as geniuses in their own rights for their respective families. Sasuke was only third in overall score during his time in the academy for the Uchiha to Itachi and Shisui, both who graduated early and became ANBU captains at a young age. While Shikamaru was only second to his father, Shikaku who was the leader of the Nara clan and the Jōnin Commander. Only Shikaku has a higher recorded I.Q number than his son.

Genma looked at the two young geniuses. 'This match has a completely different tone than the last one. It feels more like just a friendly bout instead of a personal attack. Hopefully I won't feel inclined to draw a weapon during this one.'

Shikamaru stood across from his Uchiha opponent and began to analysis him. 'Sasuke's got a lot to him. He's strong, fast, considered above average in all three forms of jutsu, and to top it all off he has the Sharingan. And that's just skimming his abilities. It'll be difficult to come up with a strategy for him…troublesome.'

Shikamaru examined the situation further. 'If he comes in for close combat then there is no way I'll win, I guess that applies to ranged attacks too. His chakra control is much better than mine, so he doesn't waste as much chakra as I do when performing jutsus, and I bet he has more chakra to use than me right now. I don't have enough chakra to overuse my _Kagemane_ to trap him. And there's no way I can stall him long enough for the sun to go down to help with preserving my chakra by using natural shadows. I don't want to use that smoke cloud plan either, he'd see through it easily.'

The Nara boy continued to look for any possible advantage. 'The terrain won't help me this time either, he knows I'm capable of hiding within the rubble. He'll be expecting it. A prolonged fight will only help him, he gets stronger as a fight goes on. Damn, of all the people to fight, I'd get forced to fight someone from the clan that's born for battle. What a drag. There really isn't a winnable scenario for me. My only chance is to somehow trick him into submission or either use his own strength against him by turning it into an advantage for me…what's a strength of his I can exploit? Hm, he did always like to disarm during weapons sparring back in the academy.'

Genma felt like he had kept the suspense going long enough for the crowd. He brought his hand up and threw it down towards the ground. "Fight!"

Sasuke instantly threw three shurikens at once. Shikamaru dropped to the ground as the weapons passed over him. The Uchiha closed the distance for close combat. They began exchanging punches and kicks, however, it was clear that Sasuke had the advantage over Shikamaru.

Sasuke landed two strikes to his opponent's face before Shikamaru was able to dodge one, Shikamaru dodged just to receive two more to hit midsection. Shikamaru tried to even the odds by drawing a kunai and slashing upwards, but Sasuke had the perception to disarm. A quick, violent uppercut followed that staggered the genius and gave Sasuke an opening to kick Shikamaru back.

Shikamaru slid to a stop and looked at his opponent. He saw Sasuke sporting a confident smirk while holding the kunai that was taken from him. That caused Shikamaru to smirked with confidence.

Sasuke took notice to Shikamaru's change in demeanor. "What's that smile for? Already realize that you're not going to win? I don't see how that's something worth smiling about but, hey, whatever goes for you."

"Well, you aren't technically wrong about the whole not winning thing. But that's not what I'm smiling about."

Shikamaru suddenly pulled his right arm back, causing Sasuke's left arm, the one with the kunai, to be jerked forward. Sasuke wasn't prepared for this and his entire body followed his arm being yanked, he also felt something tighten around his arm just before it was yanked.

Shikamaru slammed his hands together and created the hand seal for his _Kagemane_. Sasuke saw this and instantly realized Shikamaru's plan. Shikamaru must've had wires attached to the kunai he drew and when Sasuke disarmed him the wires wrapped themselves around Sasuke's arm. Then used the wires to pull Sasuke closer so he didn't have to waste chakra.

The shadow extended from Shikamaru and closed in on Sasuke. The Uchiha knew he only had moments to spare. He executed the necessary hand seals. Just as he completed the third one, his movements ceased. Sasuke looked down, only using his eyes, to see his shadow attached to Shikamaru's by a long black shadow.

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief. " _Kagemane no Jutsu…_ successful."

Sasuke's body tensed, trying to find a way to move but his body was completely immobile. "I'll give you credit. The wires were a nice touch."

Shikamaru scoffed, still holding the hand seal. He needed to figure out a decent plan fast, constant use of his shadow binding technique drained his chakra very quickly. "I knew coming into this fight I didn't have much of a chance, the gap between our strength is pretty big. That's what I meant about you being right earlier."

"Hm. I'd like to say to give up since you know this isn't winnable for you, but fighting a stronger opponent that you know you really can't win against…I get that." Not that Shikamaru would know, but Sasuke was clearly reminding himself of his quick bout with Orochimaru in the Forest of Death a month ago.

Shikamaru chuckled to himself. "I never thought you and I would come to an understanding on something. Or that I'd even find myself in this type of situation."

Sasuke would've nodded in agreement if he had control over his movements…well, most of his movements. "Then why don't we get on with this match?"

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow. "And how do you plan to do that still being trapped in my shadow?"

Sasuke chuckled. "One of the drawbacks with your _Kagemane_ is that your target can still move their eyes, breath, and even talk without a problem. You were just a second too late. I was able to finish weaving my hand signs." He filled his lungs with air and gathered chakra in his mouth. _"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

"Shit!"

Shikamaru dropped his hand seal, causing his shadow possession over Sasuke to be broke, and jumped out of the way of the giant ball of fire that was shot towards him. Once Shikamaru was clear of the attack, he came face to face with Sasuke with his Sharingan activated. The Uchiha had closed the distance the second Shikamaru released his jutsu and used his Sharingan to help predict which way he'd jump to avoid the fire ball.

Sasuke landed a strong punch square on Shikamaru's jaw, sending the Nara boy backwards. Shikamaru rolled to a stop on his backside, his limbs spread wide.

"Man, what a drag. I knew this fight was too troublesome. And now that you've activated your Sharingan, there isn't a chance in hell I'm able to win. Even if you didn't use your Sharingan, you know the weakness of my _Kagemane_ technique now. Not to mention, I don't have the chakra to hold it anymore." Shikamaru moved into a relaxed position with his hands behind his head and bent his knee so he could rest his other leg on overtop of it. "That's it. I give up."

Genma couldn't help but chuckle. "Winner: Sasuke Uchiha! He will advance to the final match!"

Genma looked on in amusement. 'What a weird kid. He has no aspirations to have anything than a simple time but when push comes to shove he's willing to throw down. And his strategy and intellect are already pretty high, give him some experience and he'll outclass most chunin. All he needs is some motivation to get stronger and he'll probably give some jōnin a reason to sweat. If these matches he fought were real missions, they'd more than likely be resounding successes with little to no fault against him or his team. This kid…he's got a better chance than the other two.'

Sasuke, himself, couldn't an amused scoff, he thought this is how their match would end. The victorious Uchiha remained in the arena while Shikamaru finally decided to get up off the ground and leave the arena.

"Hey proctor."

Genma looked over at the Uchiha. "Yeah? What is it?"

"Is there going to be another thirty-minute intermission between rounds?"

The tokubetsu jōnin nodded. "Yeah. Why do you ask?"

"I'm good to go, now. I hardly used any chakra and I don't want to wait another intermission for my fight."

"Well, it's not really up to me. If your opponent is ready then let's get it over with. I don't really care either way."

Sasuke looked up towards the viewing area. "Hey Naruto! You good to go?!"

Only few moments passed before the blonde in question landed in the arena with a very excited smile adorning his features. "You bet I'm ready!"

Genma looked up to the two Kages, specifically his Hokage, to make sure it was alright to proceed. Sarutobi gave a nod and Genma nodded in return. But the tokubetsu jōnin noticed that the Suna jōnin, Baki, was longer behind his Kazekage. Genma instantly had a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach that he did not like.

"Alright! This is the final match between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha!"

 **-Unknown location-**

The room was dark all around him, there was nothing. Yet, this was the place he felt most safe. Submerged in the darkness, never seeing the light that he knew would never reach him. He was alone. He was useless. He had failed to please, failed be prove his existence to the one thing that never judged him.

"I'm sorry Mother…" The young boy sobbed. He hated disappointing Mother.

Hidden in the darkness, a large creature stirred. Two eyes with the black sclerae's and with yellow irises and pupils that each takes the shape of a black four-pointed star with four black dots opened and shined over the young red-headed boy.

" **You will have another chance to prove your existence."**

The boy stopped sobbing momentarily to look up at the beast. "I-I will?"

" **Yes. Just submit your soul to me and your existence will be forever."**

All the boy wanted for his life to be considered real, nothing was ever worth except the vindication of Mother. That's he had ever known. That's all he will ever need.

"Yes Mother."

Gaara held out his hand and placed it on the beast's sandy-brown stomach. He was slowly submerged into the beast's body, never once fighting against the pull.

 **-Forest outside of Konoha-**

Baki calmly looked over the large amount of ninja before him, roughly three thousand of his top chunin and jōnin laid in waiting for the signal to begin the attack. The plans were delayed slightly to Gaara's unfortunate loss at the hands of the surviving Uchiha boy, but it was not a devastating blow the overall plan.

The Shukaku was the most vital part of the plan, unleashing that beast from inside Gaara to lay waste Konoha while the Suna and Oto forces combated the remaining Konoha shinobi. The small delay may actually prove beneficial. The longer the invasion takes to begin, the longer the Konoha shinobi are drawn into a false sense of security. The plan, on paper, was quite flawless. There was only one outlier that stood out in Baki's mind. His village leader, the Kazekage, had been acting strange as of late. Stranger than usual when compared to his normal, hard self.

Baki cast that thought aside, the Fourth Kazekage was just focusing on his fight with the Hokage, Yeah, that was it. No need to panic.

A cloaked, masked figure suddenly jumped down from one of the trees above and landed next to Baki.

Baki looked over to the man. "What do you want?"

"Your secret weapon has been moved to the infirmary. I took care of the ones monitoring his…condition. There should be no problems from here on out."

Baki continued to glare. "Why help us? What does Orochimaru have to gain from allowing Suna to destroy Konoha? I thought he would do that himself. "

The cloaked man removed his mask slightly to reveal silver hair and a single round lense of the man's glasses. "Lord Orochimaru has _plans_ , my sand-loving friend. It's in his best interests that Konoha falls."

Baki turned away, saying nothing to man. The cloaked man chuckled manically before jumping back into the trees.

 **Hello to whoever reads my story, I have a quick thing I want to say. I'll be going on vacation at the end of the week and it will be for the rest of the month. I'm not sure how much time I'll have to write since I'll be spending most of my time with family and friends who I haven't seen in close to a year at this point. So, don't worry, the story isn't suddenly over or I gave up on it. I'm just taking a little bit of a break from my chaos of a life to go home for the first time in a year.**

 **But I won't leave all of you hanging high and dry with just a small cliffhanger, I've got many things planned for this story through to the end. Which, by the way, I plan making my own version of 'Naruto' as a story all the way through to the end of Shippuden and possibly further…still haven't considered that yet. But regardless, I'll give you some direction as to where this 'Part One' rewrite is going.**

 **Chunin Exam Arc is almost done, I'd say two more chapters before I begin my Tsunade Arc. Speaking of which, the Tsunade Arc is going to be an adaptation of both canon and the PS2** _ **Ultimate Ninja 2**_ **storylines. I have most the main points of the arc planned out, I just need to iron the small details and stuff like that. Let me know what you think about that and what things you'd like to see in future arcs.**

 **Secondly, my overall plan is to, as I stated before, basically rewrite all of** _ **Naruto**_ **. Don't get me wrong, the** _ **Naruto**_ **series will always hold a place in my heart and I don't think I'll ever find anything like it for it to be replaced. That being said, I am not blind to its faults. Which is obvious because I'm writing this fanfiction.**

 **One of the things that always bothered me about** _ **Naruto**_ **as a whole was Sakura's character development. I'll admit it, Sakura is one of my favorite characters in the series. Not because I liked the concept of her and Naruto ending up together in the end, which I still do, but because I was able to identify with her more than Naruto or Sasuke. She came from nowhere, had no clan to give her status. Just a simple kid who wanted to be a ninja…and she became one of the best there ever was. That in itself is damn impressive. But her character development completely died after her fight with Sasori. Then got resurrected in the middle of the War Arc when she surpassed Tsunade, but by then it was too late for anything major. We all knew how infatuated she was with Sasuke that any development she had died every time she saw him. Yes, she was a strong woman and good character but she could've been so much better. And honestly, the main reason most fans disliked Sakura wasn't because she was a love rival for Hinata, which I felt was way too forced when compared to Naruto and Sakura's friendship, but because she lied to Naruto about her feelings…even then I was never really convinced that was a complete lie. Sakura may not have loved Naruto in the way he wanted her too but she loved him like family.**

 **One more small rant then I'll be done. The Third Hokage…what the hell man. You were the most powerful man in the village, and not just in strength, and you still let Naruto be treated like absolute shit for his entire childhood. Like how does even happen? I get the whole 'nobody can talk about it' rule but really that just made it worse for Naruto because nobody would talk to him. The Third, and Jiraiya for the most part, was the only one who could truly help Naruto during that time in his life and he did nothing. He just let it happen for the most part. That's why I ever liked the Third Hokage.**

 **Anyway, those were just some of the reasons why I chose to write this story. If you'd like to hear some other reasons then let me know and I'll add Author's Notes to end of more chapters. I'll do my best to hammer out the next chapter as soon as I can.**

 **I'm out.**


	17. Chapter 17: Memory Fragment

Deep within the forest that laid across the entire Land of Fire, two figures moved through the vegetation gracefully as to not disturb the natural wildlife. The two figures kept their heads on a swivel, eyeing every small detail in the woods that could aid in their search. A kanji etched into the bark of a tree caught the elder of the two's attention, signal that they were drawing closer.

"Almost there."

The young boy groaned. "You said that like three trees ago, Ero-Sennin."

Jiraiya snickered. "Yes, but this time is different."

Naruto rolled his eyes, he decided to play along. "And why is that?"

"My gut says otherwise."

Naruto deadpanned. How he used to think that this man was the so freaking cool when he was younger was beyond him. He guessed he was so awestruck by the fact a legendary Sannin was not only his godfather but his personal teacher as well. Yeah, that had to be it. Growing up, Naruto was impressed by almost every new thing that came his way, and the Sannin were at the top of that list. But having met all three and knowing what their personalities were like, the more Naruto grew up and saw the world for what it was the he realized nothing is ever as it seems. Especially when it comes to his godfather. A goofball pervert with nation fearing strength.

Okay, maybe that was kind of cool.

Naruto continued to try and find this...whatever that apparently came with a legendary sword that First Hokage wanted for his fight against the all-powerful Madara Uchiha. He wasn't exactly sure what they were trying to find, all Jiraiya told him was those kanjis would lead them to whatever it was they were trying to find. Or that's what the First Hokage's scrolls said.

" **Head west."**

Naruto stopped when the Kyuubi's deep voice echoed in his mind. "What?"

" **Head west."** The Kyuubi said again. **"What you are seeking lays to the west."**

Naruto took in the information the fox was offering and thought about it for a moment, concluding that they had nothing left to lose by following this lead. Naruto looked around for a moment to figure out which way was west before heading off in that direction.

Jiraiya realized that Naruto was no longer following him and saw the direction he was walking, which didn't match up with the First Hokage's description. "Hey! Where are you going?"

"West." Naruto simply replied.

"Why are you going west? The description that the First wrote says the kanji will keep true to the left of the sun, so we need to head north."

"You can go north, I'll head west."

"Why gave you the idea that we should go west?"

"My gut."

Jiraiya sighed in defeat, realizing that arguing with the boy would lead to nowhere. The Sannin pocketed the scroll and followed his godson.

As Jiraiya followed Naruto and his 'gut feeling', the man couldn't help but notice the difference in attitude he's had over the past few days. He had found out about his heritage and who were his parents were, piecing together what happened the night he was born. Naruto was surprisingly taking the whole ordeal extremely well, Jiraiya expected a major backlash from keeping the boy's parenthood a secret, much like when he first returned a few weeks ago.

But Naruto did not get angry, in fact he shed a tear. A reaction the elder man was not expecting. Was he holding in his anger and trying to hide it? Or simply just not bothering to think about the revelation of the fact his own father was the one that sealed a demon inside him? Either way, it was not a healthy choice.

Time passed silently as the duo headed west in hopes that whatever hunch Naruto had was right...and it was.

" **Stop."** The Kyuubi spoke up. **"You are here."**

Naruto looked around, there was nothing new. There was nothing that hinted at there was an all-powerful sword in the area. Of course, if there was an all-powerful sword somewhere then trying to find the thing shouldn't be easy.

"What do you mean? There's nothing here."

" **Just because you cannot see something does not mean something is not there."**

"Okay, don't get all metaphorical on me. I am not in mood figure out riddles."

The Kyuubi snickered. **"You're no fun. But I guess you have to be pretty serious to wield something I created."**

"Wait, you created this sword we're looking for?"

" **Yes. This sword you've searching for is only able to be known to those I believe is worthy, you cannot even come this far without my approval."**

"So, you're saying you like me?"

Kyuubi groaned in utter annoyance **. "I believe you have the capability to understand, whether or not you can wield such a weapon is not up to me."**

Naruto analyzed the demon's words carefully. "What am I supposed to understand? And why isn't it up to you if you created it?"

" **You must understand the weight that comes with this. And you'll soon see why."**

Naruto wasn't completely satisfied with this answer but knew it was all he was going to get from the beast with nine tails. The blonde looked around to see if anything had changed but it was all the same. For a moment.

Like a large curtain being lifted from a stage, the landscape around Naruto began to change to that of a barren wasteland. A few large rocks scattered around the area. The sky changed from blue or orange as chain like images wrapped themselves throughout the vast open in the sky, creating a dome like structure that entrapped Naruto away from Jiraiya.

What in the world was going on?

 _So, you're the one._

A metallic sound echoed in Naruto's mind. The sound did not make a distinct ring or gave a indication that it could create a word. But the words it wanted to convey simply were known to Naruto. A large man, wearing some type of full battle armor that Naruto did not recognize from any period of history he has studied, was kneeling behind a sword that was stabbed into the ground with his hands resting on the butt of the hilt.

The sword was a straight blade katana. The blade itself was polished black made of a metal Naruto also did not know. The hilt was wrapped in dark orange cloth with a tassel tied at the end of the hilt, resembling that of a fox tail.

Naruto was caught off guard by this man. He was not there when he first surveyed the new surroundings. "What...who are you?"

 _I am the guardian of Tojin._

"Tojin...The name of the katana. But that does not answer my other question, who are you?"

 _Nagatsudzuki suru ishi._

"The Lingering Will."

The man raised his head and seemed to be looking at Naruto. The man's entire head was covered by a battle helmet with a black visor that gave no indication where he was looking, Naruto just assumed it was him this man was looking at.

 _I feel great power within you, I can see the Kyuubi is alive and well inside of you. You come searching for Tojin's power._

Naruto wasn't sure what to think about the developing situation. This man simply appeared out of thin air, what exactly was he? He felt nothing from him. He didn't project any type of chakra signature or give off any type of intimidating presence. He just was there, nothing more.

"Kyuubi, what's going on? Where am I?"

There was no response from the nine tailed demon.

"Kyuubi?"

Naruto knew the beast sealed inside him could hear him call, so why wasn't he answering? Now, of all times, he'd chose to be the silent type. According to the Kyuubi, this katana was created by him. Why would he choose to be silent when Naruto was about to wield it? Something didn't feel right.

 _You call for Tojin's creator, but he will not respond. He cannot respond._

Naruto raised his eyebrow. "Why can't he?"

 _This place...forbids outside help. Only a chosen one can enter this plain to claim Tojin._

This raised further questions for Naruto. "And what is this plain exactly? Why can't the fox talk to me if he's sealed inside of me?"

 _Our battlefield. This is where Tojin decides if you are worthy to wield it. The Kyuubi may be the creator but Tojin is its own being. Kyuubi has no power here._

Whatever, or whoever, this guy was unlike anything Naruto has ever encountered, and he's dealt with a tailed beast before. This thing has no voice, but Naruto can understand everything it 'says' perfectly. He feels like Nagatsudzuki is a man but he's hesitant to call this thing human. Was it some cosmetic entity? A being that defies all laws of physics and time? That might be Naruto's child imagination coming into play. But, in all honesty, was it out of the realm of possibility? Who knew at this point.

The entity named 'The Lingering Will' slowly rose to his feet, stopping at a towering height over the young blonde before him. He used a single hand to grab the hilt of the katana and effortlessly pull the supposed legendary weapon out of the ground. Now that was Nagatsudzuki standing at full height, Naruto was able to full look at the armor he was wearing.

The helmet was mostly gold, except for the black visor, and it sported two red prongs on either side that pointed straight up. The arms, legs, and ribs of the armor were black and had orange patterns decorating them. It's knees guards, gauntlets, breast plate, and armored boots were gold, and there are other smaller pieces of gold armor on its legs as well.

It wears black pauldrons with gold edges. The front of the armor of the Lingering Will's torso, as are smaller pieces of armor on its lower legs and gauntlets. It also wears gold anklets with red spikes on the back that curve upward sharply.

 _I sense a great turmoil inside of you. A pain of both heart and mind._

Naruto's fists tightly clenched. He assumed he would have to fight this thing to gain approval to wield Tojin, but a heart cleansing experience was not something he wanted. He didn't want to deal with what plagued him right now. He wasn't sure if he ever wanted to.

 _Come, face your darkness._

Naruto cracked his neck and dashed to the left, chucking a mixture of shuriken and kunai. The Lingering Will didn't even flinch as the weapons hit him. Sparks flew as the tools hit their mark but nothing more, they bounced off the armor and fell to the ground.

'I figured that would happen.' Naruto thought to himself as he continued to move around his opposition. 'But now I have a decent idea on how strong that armor is. It seems I'll have to go in close. I really should've practiced more armed combat.'

The blonde genin drew another kunai knife and twirled through his fingers. He stopped circling his opponent and charged in from his opponent's left. The Lingering Will's block was swift and easily left Naruto open to a counter, but Naruto had the quickness to dodge the strong kick and continue to jab at his opponent.

Naruto weaved and dodged through The Lingering Will's counters as he continuously tried to land a single hit on it. Naruto became frustrated that he was making zero progress and put all his strength into his next attack. But the Lingering Will blocked the strike but the blade of Tojin sliced through Naruto's kunai clean, leaving the boy completely open. The Lingering Will launched Naruto across the battlefield with a massive kick that pushed the boy through a few large rocks in the process.

Naruto pulled himself out of the rubble and shook off the rest of the dirt. He groaned in discomfort, that kick was much stronger than he would've anticipated. He wouldn't be surprised if his ribs were cracked, or even a bruised lung. 'Shit…this thing has me beat in armed combat by ten miles. Another frontal assault will be suicide, and it wasn't hard to tell that he was holding back. Alright, plan B: ninjutsu.'

Naruto went through a series of hand seals. _"Katon: Karyūdan!"_

The flame bullets shot out of Naruto's mouth like a spread, covering a wide area. The Lingering Will moved into a stance and began to slash the fire bullets as they closed on him. When the black blade of Tojin sliced through the flames and extinguished them. All that was left of Naruto's jutsu was a few trails of steam coming off the blade.

Naruto was thoroughly impressed by that. 'Okay…that was pretty badass.' He shook his head and refocused. 'Quit gawking! I need a plan. Let's go for a combo!'

" _Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_

An identical clone of Naruto appeared in a plume of white smoke right next to the original, already knowing what to do, both the clone and original Naruto executed a set of different hand seals.

" _Katon: Karyūdan!"_

" _Kazakiri no Jutsu!"_ (Wind Burst technique)

The clone shot the flames from his mouth while the real Naruto threw his hands forward and brought forth a massive gust of wind that amplified the fire bullets with greater speed and strength. The Lingering Will stayed in his same position and slashed away the stronger flames.

"Oh c'mon!" Naruto's growing frustration caused him to create a third clone. "Fine! Let's go for a triple!"

" _Katon: Karyūdan!"_

" _Kazakiri no Jutsu!"_

" _Doton: Tobi Tsubute!" (Earth Style: Flying Stones)._ The third Naruto slammed his hands on the ground and a multitude of rocks shot up from the dirt. Meanwhile, the second Naruto shot the fire bullets at the rocks, igniting them. Then the real Naruto thrusted his hands forward and brought forth another strong gust of wind that increased their speed even more.

Again, the Lingering Will cemented himself in his stance and began to slash through the flaming rocks. But Naruto did notice that it took a bit more effort on the entity than previously before, causing the time of his strikes to be slowed. A single ignited rock struck the helmet and broke off one of the red spikes.

Naruto was about pride himself on landing a hit, but his excitement was very short lived. He felt a cold, killer gaze pierce his soul. A grave mistake had been made.

"Oh shi-"

Naruto couldn't even finish his words before having to duck under a strong slash of the black blade. The clones were not so lucky to react in time, both heads were sliced clean off and exploded in white smoke. Naruto tried to create distance but the Lingering Will was faster than him, even if there was an opening to escape it closed just as quick. The boy settled to dodge as much as he could, receiving cuts all over his body. But Naruto was able to feel something behind the being's thrusts. They were filled with wrath and the rage coming off both the Lingering Will and Tojin was easily felt. This made dodging less difficult but he was still slashed. Just when the large armored man was about to deal a finishing blow, Naruto through his hands forward.

" _Kazakiri no Jutsu!"_

Another massive wind separated Naruto from Nagatsudzuki, shoving the armored being back a good distance. Naruto heaved out semi deep breaths, this was certainly not going the way he thought it would. Granted he had no plan on how to handle this, or even somewhat prepared for a battle like this. The fact he was even able to land a solid hit on Nagatsudzuki held some type of credit, in Naruto's mind it did.

 _Your ninjutsu is impressive, using low level attacks in tandem to create something stronger. While impressive, it is not enough to be considered worthy._

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek, he wanted to say he could perform something even stronger but he fought against it. He could use all five of the chakra natures in tandem like he did with fire, earth, and wind just now, but there was a problem. Naruto absolutely sucked at using lightning release techniques, in fact the lightning technique was a lie by the Third because he wanted his stats in the bingo book to be better. The 'lightning jutsu' Naruto knew was a simple seal scroll that had Raiton properties and created a single bolt of lightning when released. How that translated into knowing Raiton techniques in the Hokage's mind was beyond Naruto, or at least it was until Naruto learned that the Hokage lied about Jiraiya's mission and that withheld the knowledge about his parenthood. The blonde boy wasn't sure what else to believe when it came to the Third Hokage.

Naruto shook his head, trying to shed his mind free of those thoughts. He needed to have a clear head if he wanted a chance to beat this thing. 'But honestly, is there anything I can do? I get in too close and he's gonna destroy me, I'm no match for his kenjutsu. And I'm just going to bet summoning is out of the question, if the Kyuubi can't help me the toads probably can't either. I do have _that_ but it's still a work in progress, it takes way too long to create and I'll be left open. It's a winless scenario against an overpowered opponent, what am I supposed to understand here?'

 _The doubt within your mind, it is becoming stronger._

Naruto grunted softly. "This is an unwinnable fight, it doesn't take a genius to realize fighting you is a death wish. And your holding back, that's the sad part."

 _An opponent's power means nothing when compared to one's heart._

"If it's about heart, what am I supposed to understand here? Knowing to when give up? If it is, then we're gonna be here for a while. I never give up."

The metallic sound rang again. _There comes a heavy burden when wielding Tojin. The heart must know and understand what it means to take a life._

"To take a life? I'm a ninja, of course I understand that."

The Lingering Will physically shook its head. _A shinobi fights because their village tells them they must. In the shinobi's mind, the enemy is guilty and deserves to die. But the heart knows that the enemy is the same, fighting because their village orders them to do so. Are you prepared to take an innocent life when you cannot stop?_

Naruto took in all this and truly considered the deeper meaning behind it. It was an aspect he never thought about. Yes, he had killed before. And he has also spared lives. But to think that the enemies he would fight in this upcoming war were not evil but following orders just he was really stuck in the young blonde's mind. But why wouldn't he be able to stop? Surely, he could control himself and not be a straight killing machine. Minus that one instance back on the bridge in the Land of Waves, but that was the Kyuubi's doing not his.

"The lines between good and evil will always be blurred, everyone is the hero of their own story. But despite the blurry lines, I know one thing: there is no consideration for the damned."

Naruto wasn't sure if that was the response this thing was looking for but it did generate a reaction. A harmonic tone began to emit from the katana as the Lingering Will raised the katana above his head, then swiftly bringing it back down. A crescent wave of gold energy shot from the black blade and headed towards Naruto.

Naruto rolled out of the way and slid to a stop. He looked up to see another energy wave already coming towards him. He crossed his fingers and summoned as many shadow clones as he could to lessen the impact of the attack. The explosion of instant and decimated the clones, launching the real Naruto back and into a large rock formation.

Nagatsudzuki returned to his original stance and waited for the brown dust to clear. The smoke lazily drifted to the right as some small kiss of the wind took it that way, then it suddenly can to a standstill. Then it began to move back to the left and close in on itself on one single point. Through the brown dust cloud was a shining bright blue orb that was the cause of the circulation. Naruto was holding in the palm of his hand his strongest, and most recently learned, technique…

" _Rasengan…"_

Naruto eyed his enemy as he began to move towards him. "If taking a life is what I need to understand, then I guess I'll start with yours!"

With a large burst of speed, Naruto appeared in front of the Lingering Will and thrusted his spiraling sphere at the core. His jutsu was met by the black blade of Tojin that was emitting a slight glow and harmonic tone. The two fought for ground until the two energy's exploded, causing Naruto to be launched once more. The blonde finally came to a stop and was able to come to knee, what he saw deflated any momentum he had.

The Lingering Will was standing in the same position he moved into that blocked Naruto's attack, seemingly unharmed. The armored being stood back to his full height but stopped when he noticed a few steam trails coming his right gauntlet hand, very hand he was wielding Tojin. The Lingering Will examined further and noted many small scratches now adorning the armor, while Tojin was still unscathed.

The blade of Tojin emitted another slight glow as the same harmonic sound followed, as if it was speaking. The Lingering Will looked at the blade then at the young blonde across the way. The armored man nodded slightly and let go of the katana. Naruto expected it to drop to the ground but, to his great astonishment, it began to float.

"What…the fuck?"

 _You are…worthy._

Tojin flew towards Naruto with the blade facing him. A flash of panic came over Naruto as he moved to get out of the way, so he wouldn't be impaled, but the flying katana was too quick. Tojin fazed through Naruto and disappeared into his body.

 _A great deal of responsibility and pain has now befallen you. I hope it does not change what you hope to become._

The image before Naruto became distilled and changed from that of a barren wasteland with orange sky to that of the landscape that he felt before his fight of worth. He blinked a few times and everything changed completely to back in the forest and Jiraiya was standing before him, waving his hand directly in front of his face.

"Naruto? You there?"

Before Naruto could muster up a response, an unbearable amount of pain seared his neck. He grasped his curse mark and let out a painfilled scream that brought him to his knees. He clutched the mark as hard as he could, in hopes of helping the pain go away, it did absolutely nothing.

Jiraiya immediately came to his godson's aid and tried to figure out what was happening. It was obviously the seal that Orochimaru cursed him with but it hardly was a problem their whole journey. What prompted this sudden reaction? The Sannin pried Naruto's hand away to examine further. The seal was now blood red and slowly adding another tome to itself.

"The seal is growing stronger! Another tome is manifesting."

While Jiraiya racked his mind to figure what to do about this, Naruto continued to rathe in pain. The pain was so immense that he was starting to struggle with staying conscious. That is until the deep voice in his head snapped back into reality.

" **Whistle."**

Gritting his teeth, Naruto spoke out loud through his pain. "What?"

" **If you want this pain to subside, I suggest you whistle."**

"Now is not the time for a tune!"

" **Just whistle boy!"**

Naruto bit the inside of his cheek but decided to follow through with the Kyuubi's orders. Despite the unbelievable amount of pain coming off his neck, Naruto blew out a loud whistle. There were a few moments of silence before a bright light appeared in front of Naruto and Jiraiya. Something began to materialize before the two. It was the very same katana that the Lingering Will just used to fight Naruto, sticking out of the ground.

"What the hell? Where did that sword come from?" Jiraiya questioned.

Naruto didn't feel like answering that question at the moment, maybe whenever this unbearable pain disappeared, he'd answer his godfather's questions. Suddenly, the katana began to rise out of the ground and begin to float, surprising both Naruto and Jiraiya. Tojin hovered for a moment before gliding its way over to Naruto. A harmonic tone rang from its blade as a slight glow came from the dark blade.

"It wants you move."

Jiraiya looked at his godson in shock. "What?"

"Tojin is telling you to move." Naruto said again, trying to be as clear as he could through his pain.

"You can understand that-wait, that sword can speak?! And it has a freaking name?!"

"Just move Pervy Sage!"

Jiraiya looked at the floating sword before him then back at Naruto before standing back up and taking a few steps back. He wasn't sure what was going to happen, but it looked like Naruto did, to a degree that is. Naruto glanced up at the airborne katana before slowly nodding his head. Positioning itself just right, Tojin plunged itself into Naruto's neck directly on the curse mark seal. Another harmonic tone rang as a flash of light followed. Everything happened so quick Naruto didn't have a chance to cry out in pain from being stabbed nor did Jiraiya have a chance to stop it from happening.

 **-In front of the Kyuubi's cage-**

Naruto's eyes reopened and, despite the burning sensation from the bright flash of light, he was able to see that he was no longer in the forest again, this time he was in the sewer like area of his mind. A place he had not been in some time. The same massive red gates were before him and a lone demonic scarlet red silted eye was visible behind it.

" **Well done. You not only managed to convince Tojin you are worthy, but you caused damaged to Nagatsudzuki's armor twice."**

Naruto met the giant eye with his own. "Why is that cause for congratulations?"

" **His power rivals mine. There's a reason he was the first human to wield Tojin."**

"That guy was human?"

" **Well, he used to be. But that's none of your concern."**

Naruto sighed, there was no point in trying to fight the Kyuubi when he wanted to keep his mouth shut.

" **Kit, have learned what it means to wield Tojin?"**

Naruto shrugged. "I think so. In war, lines between good and bad aren't always clear and everyone has a reason to fight. But I already knew that."

" **When you were fighting Nagatsudzuki, when damaged his armor the first time, what did you notice?"**

Naruto's first thought about the Kyuubi's question was how he knew a certain moment in his battle if he wasn't there but decided to not ask, realizing the fact the Kyuubi probably wouldn't answer or just ignore it entirely. The only thing he could remember about that part was how angry the Lingering Will's attacks felt. "His strikes were full of rage and I could feel his intent to kill me."

" **Precisely. That is what Tojin causes a person to do. To feed off their anger and animalistic need to kill. Just like that day on that bridge when you fell into my chakra, that was the feral. My animalistic instinct to kill is much stronger than any other being because of the hate I bear. Using Tojin amplifies the feral and, if you are not strong enough to suppress the urge, you will be consumed by it and kill until the feral is satisfied. Most of the time, I can control the feral and not allow it to affect you. But when you call upon Tojin, you will be the only one that can stop the feral from overtaking you. That is what you must understand."**

Naruto took all of this information in, letting the revelation that using this katana would result in an uncontrollable killing spree sink into his brain. Was he scared by this? Not necessarily. Yes, the possibility of going on a killing spree did not sit right with the boy but he truly wasn't troubled by it. That's probably what scared Naruto, the fact he wasn't sickened by him uncontrollably killing people. But like he said before: there is no consideration for the damned. If someone had committed terrible acts that was riddled with pain, sorrow, and hate for innocent bystanders, Naruto would have no problem ending a life that caused such feelings on others. Even if he had to dive into a darkness to end such a person, Naruto would still do it. But would that make him any different? Diving into darkness to end darkness? That seemed contradictive. Could he even control himself when he used such a weapon? That remained to be seen. But if Naruto couldn't stop, innocent people would-

"If I use Tojin and the feral takes over, I could hurt the innocent. That's what I have to understand."

Kyuubi nodded, even though Naruto could not see it. **"Tojin is extremely powerful on its own, able to perform unimaginable techniques and stop even more powerful attacks. But it comes at a very heavy burden. The innocent ones will forever be at risk because of greed and lust for power. Tojin can be a powerful tool to either help the innocent or destroy the world. The choice, however, is up to you."**

Naruto continuously thought of multiple different scenarios where using Tojin and giving into the Kyuubi's feral would turn into beneficial outcome. He couldn't think of much. He thought of what his father might do with this. What would the great and beloved Fourth Hokage do with such a choice? The ability to wield a great power to help but ultimately turning on that good without a second thought because of the influence, was it worth the trouble?

'Damn you stupid old man…why? Why did it have to be me?'


	18. Chapter 18

Temari and Kankuro suddenly felt sick to their stomach, the amount of blood that covered the floor was too much for any one person to witness. And the fact they were subjected to watch that cloaked man mercilessly slaughter innocent nurses forever scared the two young genin. But this was supposed to happen? Is was what needed to happen, right?

The man left without a word, leaving the two siblings alone in a room filled with dead bodies and their unconscious brother.

"How long do you think it'll take for _that_ to take over?" Kankuro asked.

Temari shook her head. "I-I'm not sure."

Silence passed between them as the realization of what as about to happen suddenly set in. This village was about to set ablaze, hundreds of innocent lives were about to be lost. All for what exactly? What was the point in attack this village? Konoha and Suna had been on good terms, strictly politically, for the past few years. What warranted a surprise invasion where so many lives could be taken in the name of what? Glory? Bragging rights? Neither of the two knew. They were way too low in the chain to know what the reasons were behind this.

Kankuro shook his head. "This shouldn't be happening…"

Temari could only nodded in her head in agreement. "It's not worth Gaara's sanity, or our own."

The only thing that made this whole situation worse was they could do nothing to stop it from happening. It simply too late…

"…Maybe it's not too late."

Temari looked at her brother. "What are you talking about?"

"Maybe we can stop this whole thing from happening."

"How could we do that?"

"We could go talk to father and-"

"Are you stupid? There's no way he'll listen to us! _Lord Kazekage_ will never listen to us!"

"There's gotta be something Temari! We can't just let Gaara follow through with the plan! Maybe Baki sensei can help us get Gaara out of here!"

Temari thought over that idea, honestly it was the best course of action as far as she could see. During their training and planning for this attack, both Kankuro and Temari could tell Baki wasn't entirely onboard with this either. They both knew the man's hate for Konoha ran deep but he even knew attacking mainland Konoha was a hard task to overcome, due to the overwhelming amount of strong ninja Konoha possessed.

"Yeah…let's go."

 **-In the battle arena-**

"Alright! This is the final match between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha!" Genma shouted, drawing the crowd's interest back to the battlefield. The two genin in question stood across from each other, both sporting proud and excited smirks towards one another. The tokubetsu jōnin then looked back up to his Hokage. "Lord Hokage, do you have anything to say?"

The aging Kage nodded and stood from his stone chair. His ceremonial robes billowed in the wind as the gust passed by. "First off, congratulations to the both of you for making it this far. Never before have two members of the same team faced each other in the final match, it's history in the making. Furthermore, I can't think of any two more deserving of the chance to fight for the rank of chunin. Sasuke was the Rookie of the Year during his time in the Ninja Academy and Naruto has proved just how strong he truly is over his hard-fought matches here today. This match is practically guaranteed classic and sure to be remembered by all! Good luck to you both!"

The crowd cheered in sure fire approval. Sarutobi sat down in his stone chair and let out a deep breath, he really needed to get out more and cut back on the smoking. Damn, he was hypocrite now for scolding Asuma about his smoking. He hoped his winded breath went unnoticed but the Kazekage was quick to pick up on it.

"A bit out of breath just from speaking, Lord Hokage? Maybe it's time for you to retire."

The Third Hokage snickered. "Now now, I'm not that old. I still plan to be Hokage for another five years before I turn in this hat."

"But you must have a successor in mind to take the reins."

"I have a few in mind."

"One of your former students I presume."

Before Sarutobi could offer up a response, a small boy with a long blue scarf jumped into the old man's lap seemingly from out of nowhere. "Grandpa!"

The aged Hokage let out a soft 'oof' when Konohamaru landed in his lap. "Konohamaru, what are you doing up here? Does your mother know where you are?"

The young boy nodded furiously. "Yeah! I wanted to watch Big Brother Naruto's match with you, grandpa. We haven't seen each other in a long time and I've missed spending time with you. Is this okay, grandpa?"

Hiruzen smiled fondly at his lone grandson. It was true that the aged man hadn't been spending much time with his beloved grandchild, but his schedule as Hokage prevented him from having the free time to do see his family. In fact, most of Sarutobi's free time was spent catching up on paperwork or dealing with unscheduled meetings.

"Of course, Konohamaru. I'd like nothing more."

The duo of grandfather and grandson turned their attention back down to the arena. Jiraiya looked on from his position on the arena wall, he couldn't believe his eyes. If it was obvious to him, how could it not be obvious to the Third Hokage. The old man's senses were dulling.

 **-With Sakura-**

The pinkette wasn't completely sure what to do with herself. Sakura was torn between her two teammates, she wasn't sure who to cheer for. Or even how to feel about them fighting each other again. She was constantly replaying Sasuke beating the hell out of Naruto while he was enveloped with that purple chakra, which was caused by that cursed mark on his neck. Sakura really hoped that Sasuke's mark didn't get involved in the match, she knew how much this fight meant to them both and what it would mean if some outside force were to get involved.

Speaking of the curse mark, Sakura wondered how Naruto was dealing with his own curse mark that Orochimaru gave him. She was forever grateful that Naruto was not affected like Sasuke was but that it didn't make it any less serious. From what she saw during Naruto's matches the mark did not seem to bother him, or he just didn't let it show.

"There's a lot of things he doesn't show…" Sakura shook her head and decided to leave the viewing area. She didn't want to watch this fight alone. Hopefully finding Ino would be easy.

 **-In the arena-**

"Before I start this match I'm going to say something, so listen up you two."

Naruto and Sasuke kept their gaze on each other but Genma knew the two were listening intently on what he was about to say. He took the senbon needle out of his mouth to signify the importance of his words.

"Like what Lord Hokage just said, the two of you have already proved why you've made it this far. But that doesn't mean its time to slack off, in fact you need to kick it up a notch. Everyone here knows you two are strong, now it's time to show us what you guys are really made of. Hold nothing back and become the next chunin."

A gust of wind blew into the stadium that carried a single green leaf that began to fall towards the battlefield.

Genma raised his hand.

The leaf billowed towards the ground just as Genma's hand came down.

"Begin!"

The two ran towards each other, clashing forearm jabs that caused them to continue their paths passed each other. They turned around to face each other simultaneously, Naruto spun with a kick that Sasuke blocked near his head. Sasuke saw an opening to hit Naruto in his stomach. Sasuke staggered Naruto enough punch Naruto across the face. Using the momentum caused by Sasuke's punch, Naruto spun around again and used the back side of his fist to strike Sasuke across his face. Naruto followed up with a strike to Sasuke's midsection, but Sasuke threw both his hands up to direct Naruto's strike away. Sasuke went to punch Naruto square in the face but Naruto was able to dodge with a simple lean of his head. Naruto countered with a strong kick that threw Sasuke back and rolling on the ground.

Sasuke rolled to a stop and flinched from the pain of the kick. He opened his eyes just as Naruto was coming down with his knee. Sasuke rolled out of Naruto's landing, that actually cracked the ground from the force, and stood on his hands and flipped over Naruto's crouched form. Naruto went for a swiping kick to knock out Sasuke's feet as he landed but he was just a second too late, Sasuke had jumped back into the air. Sasuke struck Naruto with an airborne kick that the blonde blocked with his forearms. The Uchiha used Naruto's forearms as springboard to jump back, simultaneously pushing Naruto back slightly and drawing a kunai.

Sasuke slashed at Naruto, which moved to the left to dodge. Naruto grabbed Sasuke's wrist to stop anymore use of the weapon, but Sasuke simply tossed in his other hand to attack again. Naruto dodged two quick slashes and countered with a perfectly timed disarming technique to launch the kunai into the air. Naruto grabbed ahold of Sasuke in attempt to headbutt him but Sasuke realized this and separated himself before his opponent could follow through. Sasuke had been tracking the kunai's free fall above him and flip kicked it with the back of his heel, slicing Naruto's cheek and drawing blood. Naruto came back around with a furious strike that launched Sasuke across the battlefield.

Sasuke drew two more kunai once he rolled into a crouched position, the knives spinning around his fingers. Naruto smirked as his cut cheeked healed and steamed to a close, he picked the kunai that had cut him and drew one of his own. Naruto cracked his neck and ran towards Sasuke.

The two genin fighters charged once more, clashing weapons with a flurry of sparks in each wake. Naruto and Sasuke were showing each other just how far they both had come since their days in the academy, it was always a blowout win in Naruto's favor. But now the two were fighting on par with one another, true equals.

Throughout their armed combat, Naruto and Sasuke looked almost perfectly in sync with one another. When one would attack, the other would counter. When the one would counter, the other would counter that counter. They flipped over each other. Tossed a kunai into the air to free their hand for an unexpected punch, only to have blocked because the other was ready for an unreal counter of his own. One would go for pins on the ground by taking out the other's legs, but the other would simply fight out and back to his feet.

It was truly a great match already.

But it was nowhere close to being over.

On their final clash, both had a kunai break from the sheer they put into their slashes. They caught each other's fists and struggled for dominance while their weapons fought one another in their other hand. Sasuke smirked as begin to move his captured hand.

"I'm going to borrow this."

From his own muscle memory, Naruto completed the other half of Sasuke's hand seals. By the time Naruto realized this it was too late and Sasuke kicked Naruto in the bottom of his chin. Sasuke jumped back and gathered chakra in his mouth, he took in a deep breath that puffed his chest out something fierce.

" _Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

Naruto went through a series of his own hand seals. He slammed his hands on the ground. _"Doton: Dory_ _ū_ _heki!"_

A small wall of earth erupted in front of Naruto to shield himself from the fast-incoming ball of fire. The fireball enveloped the mud wall and blew off chucks of the earth, leaving a small portion of the wall to keep Naruto unscathed from the attack but hidden in a black smoke cloud.

Sasuke ran towards the cloud, picking up a kunai that was embedded into the ground. He grabbed a piece of cloth from his back pouch and tied it around the open end of the knife. He tossed to one side of the cloud while he jumped through the other side. His plan worked to perfection when he saw Naruto's attention solely on the floating kunai that passed through the smoke a second before he did. The Uchiha slammed Naruto's head into the barely standing mud wall, preparing to end this fight. But a white plume of smoke erupted in front the kunai and another Naruto appeared. The second Naruto jumped over the first Naruto and came close to Sasuke.

'SHIT!'

The clone instantly exploded and dispersed the black cloud of smoke, also launching Naruto and Sasuke their separate ways. The blonde Uzumaki rolled across the ground until he slammed against a tree, the raven Uchiha was thrown into the arena wall and fell to his hands and knees. Both genin heaved deep, heavy breaths from their quick-paced combat.

Sasuke was the first to gain control of his breathing. "Not bad, Naruto. I expected nothing from you."

Naruto wiped the excessive sweat from his face. "You've gotten a lot stronger Sasuke. I can't believe you're fighting on par with me without using your Sharingan."

"You aren't even trying and we both know that, I've fought you enough to know when your holding back."

Naruto smirked. "Is that so? Then why don't we kick it up a notch? Activate your Sharingan."

It was Sasuke's turn to smirk, he grew more excited from the fact Naruto was practically begging him to use more power. The black haired Uchiha funneled chakra to his eyes and his kekki genkai spun into existence. But then an unwanted ability kicked in as well, the curse mark on the young Uchiha's neck pulsed and caused pain to erupted all across Sasuke's body. He clutched the mark and grunted heavily from the pain.

'Damnit not now! Of all the times for this thing to act up.'

Naruto looked on in confusion for a moment before realizing what was going on with his teammate. 'Damn, I was kind of hoping the curse mark wouldn't act up during our fight.'

A deep growl echoed inside Naruto's mind. **"Consider yourself lucky you don't have to deal with the mark any longer, Kit. But I'd suggest you wrap this fight up quick."**

'What? Why?'

" **The feral was not satisfied during your match with the Hyūga, it requires more."**

'But how come I haven't felt anything?'

" **I've been suppressing the urge in hopes of calming it so you wouldn't end up killing the Uchiha, but your battle is making the lust for blood grow stronger. If this fight continues on like it has been, the feral will over take me and then you shortly after. The Uchiha is strong but not strong enough to fend off animalistic you."**

Naruto thought the Kyuubi might be kidding or over selling this whole feral thing, but he could feel the lust deep inside of him. The Kyuubi was not kidding in the slightest, even with the demon suppressing the lust Naruto could still feel it growing. He really did need to end this fast or else who knew what would happen if he didn't. Damn, he really should've considered the implications when he healed Sakura.

Naruto stood to his full height, Sasuke following suit. The two glared at each other before shaking off whatever was occupying their minds and moving towards each other. Just as they were about to burst into full sprints…

 _BOOM._

 **-With Sakura-**

Sakura was starting to get extremely frustrated with the layout of the medical wing of the stadium, Ino wasn't kidding about there being too many turns and unnecessary empty hallways that lead to a dead end. She couldn't stand being up in the viewing area alone and watch her two teammates fight again, the memories of what happened in the Forest of Death were still fresh in her mind and being alone didn't seem like a fun idea. She wanted to go find Ino and be with her in hopes it would calm her worries.

Still, why was this place so full of these pointless turns? It was beyond stupid in Sakura's mind.

Sakura made a turn down another pointless hallway, hoping it would finally lead her out of this disgrace of a building, and stopped when she saw a single room at the end of the hall. Another dead end. But she thought this room looked out of place, it was in such a secluded part of the medical wing. Sakura felt the sudden urge to back way but she moved towards the door.

Sakura approached with caution, thinking that every step she took it would alert some monster that would attack her. Sometimes she really hated her overthinking mind. She reached for the knob and turned it slowly, the door opened with ease and her nose was instantly filled with copper.

'What the hell is that smell?'

Sakura opened the door further and couldn't believe her eyes. The room was riddled with the dead bodies of the medical team that been overseeing the matches. Each one was laid in giant pool of blood that had mixed together on the floor, and in the center of the blood stood a lone figure. The figure had blood red hair, a kanji 'love' tattoo on his forehead, and half his body was covered in sand that formed a large arm and even larger tail.

Sakura locked eyes with the figure and gasped, his eyes were black with yellow irises and pupils that took the shape of a four-pointed star. The girl was utterly terrified to move or even scream.

"You're the girl he likes…I'll kill you first!"

Gaara launched his large sand arm at Sakura, throwing her back down the hallway. The pinkette crashed into the wall at the end of the hall. The sudden pain jolted Sakura out of her fear ridden state and she was filled with adrenaline, it was time to run or fight this thing.

Her mind flashed images of Sasuke and Naruto fighting to protect her throughout their time as Team Seven, the only thing she could really remember about those moments is how much she hated being protected like that.

Not this time. Sakura was alone, she needed to prove she could stand on her own.

The pinkette drew a kunai and prepared herself for battle with a monster.

Gaara snarled into a sadistic smile, his fangs growing with his power. "You want to fight me? Mother loves it when her prey fights back!"

Gaara's massive sand arm extended towards Sakura to trap her against the wall. The girl rolled out of the way just as the massive claw crashed through the wall. Sakura threw the kunai she had taken out at Gaara, but the projectile was caught by small sand wall that formed in front of Gaara. She figured that wasn't going to work but she didn't have any clue how to beat this thing. Was this Gaara's true power? Was this what he was capable of?

"Mother screams for blood!"

Gaara launched sand projectiles out of his arm of sand towards Sakura. The pinkette turned and sprinted down the hallway just as the projectiles were getting close to her. She turned down the corridor just as they were about to hit her. Realizing he had the advantage in this environment, Sakura continued to run.

The Suna jinchuriki moved to the intersecting halls to follow his prey, he was so focused on killing her fast he failed to realize the explosive tag sitting on the wall.

 _Boom._

The explosion was quick and easily rocked the entire stadium, there was no doubt most of the crowd heard it. Sakura used this opportunity to find a good place to hide and hopefully out a way to beat this guy. She peered out from behind her spot, what she saw terrified her even more.

The portion of Gaara that wasn't protected by the sand that was on his body was covered in blood and severe burns, while the actual sand was struggling to stay on his body. But that's not was terrified Sakura. Gaara still held that same psychopathic smile on his face.

'What…what is he?!'

Gaara manically laughed through his pain, as if he was enjoying it. "Oh yes! The blood! The pain! Mother will be very satisfied when I unleash her on this village!"

Sakura trembled at the thought of this 'Mother' being allowed to attack the village, whatever it may be. That's probably what scared Sakura the most, the unknown of this threat. She closed her eyes and tried to calm her sporadic breathing so her stalking enemy wouldn't find her. But when she did she felt the demonic chakra that radiated off Gaara.

It felt just like Naruto when he unleashed a massive amount of chakra on the bridge in the Land of Waves.

Sakura gulped when she realized the chakra was oddly similar to that day. But that was about to be the furthest thing from the pinkette's mind, she was in the fight for her life and needed her full attention to win this.

"Hey! Is there anyone down here?"

Sakura jolted at the new voice. It was a Konoha shinobi walking towards them. He must've heard the explosion and came to investigate. Just as Sakura was about to jump from her hiding spot but Gaara was too quick to notice the newcomer's arrival.

"H-Hey, what happened here?!"

Sakura was too freaking terrified to look. All she heard was the chunin's scream of utter terror and pain, the sound of bones cracking caused Sakura to cover her mouth so she wouldn't scream or puke. She even had to hold her hand in place so she could muffle any attempt of her screaming. She concentrated so hard on suppressing her chakra signature so she wouldn't be discovered.

Gaara scanned the hallway for any more potential sacrifices for Mother. He slowly rotated his head, analyzing every minute detail that could possibly turn into his next kill. He grunted when he could not find anything and turned to leave.

Sakura wasn't sure how long she stayed in her hiding spot, it felt like hours to the girl. By the time her heart had finally began to calm and return to a regular steady beat, Sakura moved from her spot and saw the devastation Gaara caused. Besides the room of nurses that he came from, there was only one gruesome death to be seen. The blood of the dead chunin was painted on the walls and his limbs were spread throughout the hall.

Sakura looked over the gore and instantly felt guilty, she could've helped him if she was terrified to move. Maybe he'd still be alive if she had done something. She approached torso of the man, which was the only piece of him that was still together. She needed to know his name, who he was, if he had a family, a wife, kids. Sakura needed to know.

Another explosion rocked the stadium that shook Sakura from her stupor. Something bad was happening in the village and that was her place of duty. She would figure this man's identity later. The pinkette took off down the hallway.

Unbeknownst to Sakura, a man with very special eyes emerged from his medical room.

 **-With Konohamaru, minutes prior-**

"Go Big Bro Naruto! Kick that lame Sasuke's ass!"

The young honorable grandson was smacked upside the head by his grandfather. "Konohamaru, I know your mother did not teach you curse."

The boy grumbled to himself before turning his attention back to the fight in the arena. "Sorry grandpa, but Naruto's fight is getting me all excited! I can't believe how strong he is!"

Hiruzen chuckled as he put his pipe in his mouth. "He sure has grown quite strong. I am quite excited myself to see what he's able to do in the years to come. Maybe he'll be the one to take my title from me."

There was a chuckle, both Konohamaru and the Third Hokage turned to the other Kage on the platform. The man in the blue version of the ceremonial kage robes couldn't seem to hold it in.

"Is something funny, Kazekage?"

"No no, excuse my unprofessional act, but you plan on being Hokage long enough for that Uzumaki to become the next Hokage? That seems a bit of a pipedream to me."

"I don't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, I still plan on being Hokage for another four years before I even consider retirement. That's plenty of time for young Naruto to gain the necessary experience to take up the mantle, especially the way he trains."

"Hm. Five years is a long time for someone to grow and mature. But do you expect _you'll_ be the one who will hand off the hat to him?"

Hiruzen eyed his fellow kage suspiciously. "Are you hinting at something, Lord Kazekage?"

The Kazekage shrugged slightly. "I'm not hinting at anything, it's just anything can happen at any moment. Everyday can be one's last if one is not prepared."

"Hey! Who are you to say anything?! My grandpa isn't going anywhere! He's the strongest in the village! He could mop the floor with you!"

Hiruzen placed a hand on his young grandson's shoulder, forcing him back down off his lap and making stand. "It's quite alright, Konohamaru. He means nothing by it. I'm not going anywhere, and I certainly don't plan on dying anytime soon."

Another chuckle escaped the Kazekage's throat, this one was more sinister, and it even caught Jiraiya's attention. The white haired Sannin moved closer to them.

"You may not plan on dying but somebody else may have other plans… _Sarutobi sensei._ "

Suddenly two cloaked Suna shinobi appeared behind the Kazekage, each with their own palm sized capsule that exploded into large clouds of white smoke. Across the stadium, another large explosion of white smoke appeared and out came three large snakes that instantly began to lay waste to Konoha. Shinobi sprang into action as a mixture of Sunagakure and Otogakure shinobi attacked.

The calm village of Konohagakure quickly turned into an all-out warzone.

Jiraiya sprang into action and chased after his master, who had been suddenly grappled and brought to the roof of the Chunin exam stadium. But he wasn't the main reason Jiraiya was jumping up there, poor Konohamaru had been taken hostage by one of the cloaked Suna shinobi and that was a more pressing matter. Jiraiya quickly dealt with the man and saved the Third's grandson.

By the time Jiraiya turned to go help his sensei, there was a giant purple box dome with four different people in each corner, all holding a seal to hold the jutsu. As Jiraiya examined the protective seal barrier, cloaked members of the ANBU landed on the roof behind the Sannin.

"Lord Jiraiya, the village is under attack!" One of ANBU pointed out.

"Yes, I can see that. And it looks like Orochimaru is behind it all."

"Orochimaru?! How do you know?!" Another gasped.

"Because I can see him in that barrier."

The ANBU looked more closely through the chakra barrier and, sure enough, the Snake Sannin Orochimaru had the Third Hokage held at the throat by a kunai. It seemed the snake was impersonating the Kazekage the whole time. Who none of them were able to figure out that the Kazekage was a fake would be cause for concern, but now was not the time for that.

Jiraiya approached the barrier and placed a hand on it. His skin was instantly burned and pulled away. He decided to examine it from just his sight from now on. "An interesting defense, I'll give you credit on that one."

Orochimaru sinisterly smiled, still holding the tip of a kunai to the Hokage's jugular. "I designed it just for you, Jiraiya. I can't have you interfering in my battle with our dear, old Sarutobi sensei." His long tongue crept out of the Sannin's mouth and licked the blade of the kunai.

"Do you really think this will keep me from ripping that tongue out of your mouth?"

Orochimaru laughed just as menacingly. "I would **love** for you to try, my old friend. But it will not happen today! Today is Konoha's final day! And I will see to it personally!"

Jiraiya snickered. "If you think I'll let you-"

"Jiraiya..."

The white-haired Sannin stopped mid-sentence and looked at his old mentor, what he saw in the old man's eyes surprised him. Jiraiya saw…regret in the eyes of the Third Hokage. And the Sannin couldn't believe it.

"I am to blame for the current situation. Orochimaru has become this way because of my negligence. Allow me to right this wrong. Save the village."

Orochimaru looked at his former sensei and began to laugh manically once again. "I'm so glad you feel that way, Sarutobi sensei, because I feel the same! I want nothing more than to finish what I started the day I left this wretched village!"

Jiraiya's fists balled into fists. "Sensei…" The Sannin was torn on what he should do. On one hand, he knew he had to figure out a way to get through this barrier seal and help his old master end Orochimaru once and for all. But simultaneously, Jiraiya wasn't sure he even wanted to help. Sarutobi had been feeding him lies for the past six years, all in the name of keeping Naruto in the village for an unknown reason. That unknown reason continuously causes an unbelievable amount of torment and suffering on his godson, which could turn out to be irreversible. All for what?

"Lord Jiraiya?" A member of the ANBU asked.

"…C'mon, we need to stop to snakes from destroying the infrastructure of our main defenses." Jiraiya leapt off the building and into the fighting below.

 **-With Naruto and Sasuke-**

 _Boom._

The sudden earthquake of the stadium snapped Naruto and Sasuke out of their stare down and they both became aware of what was happening around them. Villagers were running for their lives as Konoha shinobi fought off a mixture of Sunagakure and Otogakure shinobi in the stands of the Chunin Exam stadium. Another rumble of the ground came and went and three large snakes burst through the main, outside wall of Konoha and began to lay waste to the village.

"What on earth is going on?" Sasuke questioned.

"An invasion. The village is under attack."

The two genin looked at the proctor of their match, Genma. "Under attack?" Naruto questioned further.

"Yeah, under attack. A war, a battle. Meaning fight anyone who's not a member of Konoha!"

Naruto and Sasuke both had a small shiver run down their spines. War was not a word to the taken lightly. Sasuke recalled multiple lessons from the academy about the three great Shinobi Wars and the impact that was still felt in today's treaties, the possibility of him going into what his ancestors were raised in both bothered and excited him. Naruto, on the other hand, instantly remembered what Jiraiya informed him what he learned during his six-year hiatus. He knew that he would eventually have to fight in a real war, and not just dealing with low life criminals and Chunin exam opponents, but that didn't mean he was particularly excited about it.

This would be their first taste of what was to come.

The teammates nodded towards one another and stood back to back, drawing kunai to protect the others blindside. Genma was mildly impressed that the two genin weren't cowering away from the potential fighting, or they were just suppressing their fear and just manning up. Either way, the high ranking Jōnin didn't care, he had his own battle to fight.

"Good luck, you two. And don't die." Genma jumped into the air and disappeared over the stadium wall.

Sasuke snickered, he thought the Jōnin would stay and help. "So much for that guy."

"Oh well, we can handle ourselves. But we should search for Sakura and make sure she's alright, we'll be better off as a group."

Sasuke nodded, despite not having much experience in real life situations they were stronger as a group. The male members of Team Seven followed Genma's lead and jumped over the stadium wall and into the already battle-ridden Konoha.

 **-With Sakura-**

The lone female member of Team Seven was sprinting through the streets of Konoha as she followed the destructive path of Gaara. The power driven, blood lusted jinchuriki was laying waste to anything that got in his way, nothing was spared. Sakura ran through so many villagers that were running away, all screaming in terror. As much as she wanted to help them get to the shelters up in the Hokage Mountain, the pinkette pushed.

Eventually, Sakura was able to pinpoint Gaara's location and found him. She was greatly surprised by what she saw, whatever was happening to the boy had stopped and been reversed. Gaara seemed to return to normal. But the red-head was not alone. Holding Gaara upright were his two older siblings.

Kankuro was the first to notice Sakura's presence. "Shit! Not now! Gaara was almost calmed down! We need to get him out of here Temari!"

Temari drew her giant fan in defense for her younger brother. "Get out of here now girl! Do you want to die?!"

Sakura was confused by their reaction to her being here, weren't they supposed to be invading? "What is going on?"

"What's going on is we are trying to stop Gaara from destroying your village! You need to leave now!" Kankuro shouted again, he too pulled his puppet off his back and began to unravel the bandages. "We need to get Gaara out of here before 'it' takes over!"

Sakura was confused further. "Before what takes over?"

Kankuro grunted in immense frustration and moved towards Sakura. "Temari, take Gaara and run. This bitch just won't listen!"

"But Kankuro-"

"Just go! Now! I'll hold her off long enough for you to get Gaara out of the village"

Temari looked at her brother then at Sakura. Couldn't this girl see that they were trying to save them all from total destruction?! Time was running out, the monster inside Gaara was about to take over completely. They needed to as far as possible before that happened. The Suna kunoichi placed Gaara's arm around her shoulders and jumped away.

"Hey wait-" Sakura attempted to follow but something jumped into her path. A humanoid puppet with three eyes and four arms blocked her from pursuing further.

"Stay away from Gaara! We're trying to save your damn village!"

Sakura jumped back to create some distance between her and this humanoid puppet, trying to come up with a plan to quickly deal with this. She had never fought a puppet user and knew very little about the style, something she was going to change once this whole was over. What she did know was that puppets were controlled by chakra threads that were connected to the user's fingertips. She just needed to sever those threads and-

Sakura's train of thought was suddenly interrupted by the puppet rushing towards her. She jumped back even further.

"Just turn around girl, Karasu is one of the strongest puppets in my village. You won't be able to get anywhere close to me."

"Then shall I close the distance?"

Coming in from Kankuro's left, Neji appeared seemingly out of thin air and planted a strong palm strike into Kankuro's midsection. The Hyuuga prodigy launched the puppet user into a wall, knocking him unconscious. Neji stayed in his taijutsu stance as he scanned the surrounding area with his Byakugan.

"Are you going to just stand there or are you going to continue your pursuit?"

Sakura was shocked by the sudden change of events; never did she think Neji would come to her aid. Especially not a few hours after using the same palm strike on her. "Why did you help me?"

The Hyuuga smirked at the question. "We are both Konoha shinobi in the middle of an invasion, petty differences and quarrels don't matter in times like these. Besides…I felt like I should."

"Not because fate told you too?"

"Fate had nothing to do with _my_ choice. Now go!"

Sakura nodded and ran past Neji and continued her chase after Gaara.


	19. Chapter 19

"Hurry up Chōji, I can't hold them forever!" Shikamaru shouted at his teammate. The young Nara genius was holding a group of Suna shinobi in his shadow possession technique and his chakra was quickly disappearing from the constant use of the jutsu.

The Akimichi boy focused his chakra and his arm grew exponentially. "Partial Expansion Jutsu!" Chōji shouted as he swiped his triple sized arm to dispose of the enemy ninja. He launched them into side of a building and they dropped in a heap on the ground.

Shikamaru breathed a sigh of relief as his shadow returned to his body. "Nice work Chōji."

Chōji smiled. "Thanks Shikamaru, but you're the one who thought of the plan. I just followed your orders."

Shikamaru shrugged. "You act like trapping them in my shadow was difficult. Suna obviously didn't do their research, our Ino-Shika-Cho formation is very well documented."

Chōji nodded. "Yeah, you're probably right. But where is Ino? I hope she's okay."

"Before everything started, I saw her sitting with her dad. I'm sure she's fine with him."

The hefty Akimichi boy nodded again. He looked around at the devastation around them. Buildings were damaged, villagers were hiding in rubble or running towards the Hokage Mountain for shelter in the catacombs. Chōji couldn't help the solemn look on his face.

"Is this what war feels like, Shikamaru?"

The Nara boy noticed the look on his teammate's face, he couldn't blame Chōji for asking that type of question. They were only genin, fresh genin at that, and barely had the life experience to handle the situation like this. In the academy, Iruka taught them the history of war and how it shaped the present they were living in. Shikamaru felt the same as Chōji did. "I don't know buddy, but we'll get through it. No matter what we'll get through it."

A sudden earthquake shook the ground and the two male members of Team Ten looked around to see what was happening. A giant snake was thrown over the buildings of the village and slammed into the Hokage Mountain, then an equal sized red toad jumped in and shoved a massive sasumata into the snake's neck and snapping it. Atop the giant toad summon was a white-haired man that seemed to be shouting out orders to the toad. The toad nodded and jumped into his next battle.

"What was that?!"

"Everyone's pulling out all the stops for this. Honestly, this is such a drag."

 **-Third Hokage vs. Orochimaru-**

Both men had discarded the ceremonial robes and stood in their battle attire. Sarutobi's black jumpsuit consisted of mesh armor on the lower parts of his limbs, with a green gauntlet that covered most of his right arm, and he also wore a green armored hood with a bandanna-like forehead protector over this tied with two long straps. Orochimaru retained his original attire.

The former master and student charged at one another, Sarutobi pulled out a single shuriken and chucked it at Orochimaru. He executed a series of hand seals and dozens upon dozens of more shurikens appeared and were launched at the Snake Sannin.

" _Shuriken Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_

Orochimaru went through a series of hand seals of his own. _"Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei!"_ (Summoning: Reanimation)

A wood coffin began to emerge from the tile surface that was quickly followed by a second that shielded Orochimaru from the hundreds of shuriken. Hiruzen realized what was happeningand went through another set of hand signs, he channeled more chakra into this just to make sure the third one didn't deploy. Much to his relief, it did not.

Orochimaru chuckled sinisterly as he peered between the two coffins. "Hm. It seems you were able to stop the third one. No matter, the end result will be the same."

The nails holding coffins shut burst out and the covers slowly fell off to reveal the two things he had summoned. Stepping out from the darkness of the shadows, wearing their respective red and blue battle armor they were buried in, came the First and Second Hokage. The formerly deceased looked up and saw the man they had left to protect the village now an old man.

"It's been a long time, eh monkey?" The Second rhetorically asked in a monotone voice.

"Oh, it's you…you've grown quite old Sarutobi." The First said in a similar tone.

"Never would I have thought I'd be meeting you two in a situation like this. It is unfortunate…but prepare for your defeat."

The Nidaime turned and looked at Orochimaru. "Edo Tensei huh? So, this youngster was the one to use my forbidden jutsu. He's quite something."

The Shodaime kept his eyes on the Sandaime. "If that is true Sarutobi, then I guess it means we'll be fighting against you. This really is unfortunate."

Orochimaru pushed the coffins to the side and approached the two legendary Hokage with a talisman attached to a kunai in each hand. "How about you save the old folks chat for the afterlife and get down to business shall we?" The Snake fazed his hands into the back of the two Hokage's heads.

"No matter how much the world changes and grows, the fighting will never cease it seems." The Shodaime muttered as he felt his consciousness be taken from him.

"Do what you must, monkey." The Nidaime called out to his former student as he lost control over himself.

Sarutobi felt the anger grow within him. "Using the dead as your personal tools, will you stop at nothing Orochimaru?"

The Snake Sannin chuckled again. "You know that I won't."

The Edo Tensei binds the soul of a deceased person into a living vessel, restoring them to act upon the summoners will. It was originally created by the Nidaime, Tobirama Senju, but he declared it a forbidden technique due to its high cost and how horrible it could be used if it fell into the wrong hands. The summoner needs the DNA of the person they want to resurrect and a living/willing sacrifice to bind the deceased soul in to. Both of which are not easy things to accomplish.

Sarutobi began to analyze the condition of his previous leaders. 'They look just as good now as they did back then. It seems Orochimaru already purified them and returned them to their former glory. But how much so? I can't imagine Orochimaru fully reviving them both. Lord First could have easily broken free of the control and overwhelmed Orochimaru just by flexing his chakra. And Lord Second was the jutsu's creator, I have no doubt he implanted a failsafe if it were ever used on himself. I think it's safe to assume they are not at full strength. But this is still a problem for me, even a half power the two brothers were not easy to fight.'

"I felt like this was the right thing to do, Sarutobi sensei. I wanted to share this feeling I have."

"What feeling is that?"

"The happiness and sense of accomplishment to hurt the one you used to call master. I thought it'd be fitting to share the same experience of pleasure. Wouldn't you agree?"

The Sandaime began uncharacteristically snarling as his anger over took him. The aging man charged head first into the battle with his predecessors. He prepped himself to perform a jutsu. Orochimaru held a hand sign that signaled for his puppets to counter.

" _Katon: Kary_ _ū_ _Endan!"_ (Fire Style: Dragon Flame Bomb)

" _Suiton: Suijinheki!"_ (Water Style: Water Wall)

While fire was spit in the shape of a dragon from the Sandaime's, water fell freely from the Nidaime's mouth, true to the jutsu's name. The resounding clash between fire and water resulted in a cancelation of both techniques.

'Just what you'd expect from a former Hokage, using a high a level water technique _and_ creating the water for it.' Sarutobi thought to himself.

But the Second wasn't done there. Using the leftover water that he created, the reanimated man funneled his chakra into it again. _"Suiton: Suiry_ _ū_ _dan!"_ (Water Style: Water Dragon Missile)

Sarutobi decided he should provide some of his own element to counter this technique. Going through even more hand seals, the Third spat mud from his mouth. " _Doton: Dory_ _ū_ _kei!"_ (Earth Style: Mud Wall)

The water dragon shot towards the growing mud wall and collided with great force but did little to cause any damage to the wall or Sarutobi. Now that the wall of earth had been created and practically nullifying any jutsu the Second could use, Orochimaru felt like it was time to introduce the Shodaime to this battle of master and student. The reanimated man held a single hand seal that caused Sarutobi to clench.

'That seal…this is his secret technique! Countering with elemental jutsus won't do anymore!' Sarutobi had no other choice but to bring his summon to the battlefield.

" _Mokuton: Jukai K_ _ō_ _ton!"_ (Wood Style: Deep Forest Emergence)

Branches began to rise from under the tiles of the lookout tower and grew into trees that quickly turned into a forest that spread throughout the entire barrier that entrapped them. Sarutobi was able to outrun the fast spreading wood for a few seconds to make the necessary for his summoning but he was quickly caught and wrapped up in the branches. Struggling against the branches strength, Sarutobi bit his thumb and placed his hand on a branch.

" _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_

Out from the sudden burst of smoke came the monkey king, Enma. The white furred and long, untamed white-haired monkey looked down and instantly figured out why his long-time friend had summoned him. "So, it's come down to this eh? Sarutobi, you are pathetic for not killing him when you had the chance. All of this could have been avoided if you realized what he was doing sooner."

"Enma!" Sarutobi yelled in full seriousness, catching the summon's attention. "Adamantine staff!"

Enma nodded and held a hand seal. "Gotcha…transform!" Using the transformation technique, the monkey king transformed into a black staff with yellow ends. The staff smacked into the branches that bound the Sandaime and easily freed him. The aging Hokage grabbed the staff and jumped down to ground level.

Orochimaru smirked. "Things are finally getting interesting, wouldn't you say Sarutobi sensei?" The Sannin opened his mouth and a brown snake covered in slime came slithering out of his throat. The snake went straight as a line as it, too, opened its mouth and a sword came out of the snake's mouth. Orochimaru gripped the hilt and shook off the slime, the snake returning to Orochimaru's body.

'The sword of Kusanagi, eh? Enma is gonna be sore after this one.' Sarutobi twirled the staff around and slammed it on the ground to show dominance, though he had a bit of trouble. 'Ugh, I didn't think Nyoibo could be so heavy…'

Sarutobi charged at Orochimaru and his two former teachers. He clashed his Nyoibo with Orochimaru's Kusanagi, Enma even protruded his entire head out of the tip of the staff to try and attack Orochimaru. But the monkey king never was able to get close enough to the Snake, the two Hokage kicked the Third Hokage away.

Orochimaru licked his lips with his long-gated, pointed tongue. "For you to come charging in without any shadow clones is truly disappointing, your age is going to be more of a factor in this battle then I planned for. Oh well, better for me."

Suddenly, explosive tags that were placed on the Shodaime and Nidaime's ankles hit the end of their time and exploded. Orochimaru remained unfazed by this. It didn't matter what his former teacher did to damage the two Hokage, they would regenerate just as fast.

Sarutobi looked on in frustration. 'I figured as much, they'll just repair themselves from the damage I cause. And if my memory serves me right, they won't disappear until the caster of the jutsu dispels them. If I want a one-on-one fight with Orochimaru then I'll have to deal with their trapped souls…the only jutsu that can seal away souls is the Yondaime's. There's no other way…I'll have to take all three of them with me.'

Sarutobi clasped his hands together as he prepared himself for the jutsu that would end this battle once and for all. He prayed his predecessors would forgive him for dealing with such an absolute ending.

"Hehehe, even you, one who has held the title of 'God of Shinobi' can't even defeat Father Time. I've never seen you strain so much." Orochimaru reached up and dug his nails under the skin of his face. "It's really quite pitiful." The skin was ripped away and revealed a new face that the Sandaime had never seen before. It was a face of a beautiful young woman.

Sarutobi held back his shock. "Who the hell are you?!"

"Is it that hard to figure out? It's me. I'm _Orochimaru._ "

A single of Enma opened itself on the staff to witness the situation. "He's finally done it…"

"You've…achieved _that_ kinjutsu?!" (Forbidden Jutsus)

'Orochimaru' chuckled again. "It's been more than ten years since I left the village, I've suffered quite a bit."

Sarutobi scowled hard at what his former student was implying. The night Orochimaru left the village was still fresh in the Sandaime's mind. Reports of multiple missing chūnin, jōnin, and even ANBU had been made and there was only one suspect. Orochimaru. They were able to track him down after hours of searching but were not prepared for what was beyond the door. After they burst through the door, every single one of them was utterly horrified by what they saw. Dozens of dead bodies of the missing shinobi that were either laid up on wooden slabs against the walls or just simply laid on the ground with white sheets overtop of them, each one with hours of experimentation done on them. All in the name of immortality.

"Your twisted ideology is the very reason I never selected you to replace me. You are far from the young boy met and mentored for so long."

"Are we feeling a hint of nostalgia? That's what I intended when kept my old self on the surface. With this immortality jutsu, I bind my soul into a new body and anchor myself in this world forever. It must feel quite depressing to grow old? I can simply look at you and feel it deeply. You will die here…and I will obtain a younger, _stronger_ body. One with sight far beyond my own."

Sarutobi remained silent as he scanned over Orochimaru's words, only to come the conclusion on who Orochimaru was talking about. "I see…so Sasuke Uchiha is your target."

"Hehehe. Exactly right, it's Sasuke. But I won't lie, the young Naruto Uzumaki would sure make for a promising subject."

Sarutobi tried his damnedest to not lose his composure. "If you so much as get near Naruto-"

"Don't worry about me taking your precious jinchūriki. It took a long time for you to mold him into what you wanted, I applaud you for that. But while the prospect of having the Nine-Tailed Beast under my control sounds greatly enticing, the power I can achieve with the Sharingan will surpass that of the bijū. But if the opportunity arises, I will not hesitate to make him mine. Just like Sasuke!"

Orochimaru's features returned to that of his original face and signaled for the First Hokage to create more Mokuton that enveloped the entirety of the barrier. Sarutobi was swept away from the attacking branches but Enma encased his companion in a cage of multiple staffs to protect him. Sarutobi took a moment to survey his options. He already concluded that this battle wouldn't end until the Shodaime and Nidaime were dealt with, even then Orochimaru himself was going to be rather difficult to defeat in his current state.

It was time for the reaper to come take his next victims.

The cage disappeared and Sarutobi landed on a single branch, crossing his fingers as he did so. _"Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_ Two clones came forth and all three executed the same series of hand seals. A translucent, gaunt specter, with a demonic visage, appeared behind Sarutobi that towered over him. It possessed long, shaggy, white hair from which two red horns protruded from, as well as purple tinted skin. It was draped in a large white kimono and held a set of prayer beads. Being held in its mouth by its sharp, jagged teeth was a small tanto. Suspended in front of the translucent figure was a blue human shaped visage.

Sarutobi noticed Orochimaru's lack of reaction and glanced back at the demonic visage. 'This must be the Shinigami that Minato spoke about. I must be the only one who can see him because I cast the jutsu.'

Orochimaru chuckled, he showed confidence despite not recognizing the series of hand seals the Sandaime was doing. "It doesn't mater what you do, it's too late, I've already won. Konoha will fall and burn to ash."

"This village is my home Orochimaru! As Hokage, it is my duty to be the main pillar of the house that protects her and pass on the Will of Fire to the next generation! It won't be easy for you to take Konoha down!"

The Shodaime went through a set of hand signs. _"Kokuangyo no Jutsu!"_ (Infinite Darkness Jutsu) A veil of darkness was cast of the battlefield and the genjutsu blinded the Sandaime. Dealing a series of heavy blows to the Sandaime, the Shodaime and Nidaime moved about the darkness without detection.

"Haha…then I'll break that pillar and burn down the house!"

"Even if you kill me, the beam will not break!" Sarutobi defiantly yelled, recovering from the pain of his injuries. "I am the Sandaime! No matter how much you target the Leaf, there will always be a new Hokage to inherit the Will of Fire that I leave behind!"

All three forms of Sarutobi slammed their respective hands together and left themselves open to a attack, an opening that his opponents did not let close. Just as another invisible strike was about to hit, the clones grabbed ahold of the darkness with all their might.

"Come forth!" The clones yelled in unison.

Grunting in severe pain and blood free falling from the clones' mouth, the hand of the Shinigami passed through the clones' stomachs and grabbed the souls of the reanimated Hokage. The illusion of darkness was instantly lifted as the two Hokage's began to break apart and fade away.

"S-Sorry Sarutobi…" The First Hokage stammered out. His body fell back and broke apart, revealing the unnamed sacrifice that Orochimaru used to reanimate the deceased Kage.

"It seems we caused you a lot of trouble, eh monkey?" The Second Hokage held a proud smirk that his former student was able to defeat him and his elder brother and release them from the curse.

Orochimaru looked on in shock. 'What jutsu is this?! The darkness is gone!'

Sarutobi shed a single tear before he finished what he started. The Shinigami ripped the souls out of the bodies and sealed them inside the clones with the Eight Trigram Seal. The clones burst and disappeared from the stress, thus transferring the seals to the real Sarutobi. The Third stuck out his hand and Enma came flying to his side.

"It's time to end this, Orochimaru!"

Sarutobi jumped towards his former student, determined to end this battle once and for all. The two exchanged sword and staff as they danced around the overgrown forest. Sarutobi was able to disarm Orochimaru and get in close enough to grab ahold of him. The Shinigami had already fazed its hand through the Third and instantly attached itself to the Snake's soul.

It was then Orochimaru could finally see what Sarutobi had done. Suspended behind his former teacher was the Shinigami, the reaper of death. Looking down, Orochimaru saw Sarutobi's clothes had been ripped open and, imprinted like a tattoo, was the exact same seal that he had saw on Naruto's stomach when he tried to seal the Kyuubi away from him. Orochimaru tried to escape but his body was not responding to his commands.

"W-What is going on?! What are you doing to me old man?!"

Sarutobi heaved in and out, the stress of the jutsu was setting in. He wasn't sure he had the strength to finish Orochimaru off. "For this jutsu to work, you need to hand your soul over to death. It's a fūinjutsu that you pay for with your life. Once I complete the seal, my soul will be consumed simultaneously with yours and we will both die. Ironically, Death will have saved Konoha for a second time."

Orochimaru instantly pieced it together. "This jutsu sealed even the Kyuubi?!"

"Yes…and we will both go the way of the Fourth!"

Sarutobi put forth everything he possible had and continuously pulled Orochimaru's soul out of his body, the Snake was not going to go down easily. Unleashing all his willpower, Orochimaru fought hard to rake his soul back into his body. It was a stalemate. One that would not last for long.

"It seems you don't have the strength to finish me off." Orochimaru chuckled, despite his situation and half his soul in the reaper's hands. "I can outlast what little time you have left, and the village will fall. It's hopeless for you, Sarutobi sensei!"

As much the Sandaime hated to see it but Orochimaru was very, very right. He wasn't in the best condition when the first started to begin with, he simply didn't have the strength to fight against Orochimaru much longer. Sarutobi could feel his grip on the Snake slipping, any more and he'd lose it all.

"AAAAHHHHHH!"

A third party scream surprised both Sarutobi and Orochimaru, they both turned their attention to the source. Forcing his continuously burning hands through the purple barrier and ripping it apart was Jiraiya. It seemed he had returned some time ago and figured out a way to beat the barrier. Both parties knew exactly how he did it, the two toads on his shoulders were a dead giveaway.

"C'mon lad, ye almost got it!" The female toad croaked.

"Ma! Get ready for a fight!"

Jiraiya let out another fierce scream to will himself through the barrier, practically blowing a large hole in the wall. The sudden tear caused a ripple effect and the entire box disappeared, allowing more shinobi gain access to their battlefield. Sarutobi saw his moment and he took it, he knew this wouldn't kill Orochimaru but seeing Jiraiya in his sage mode gave the old man the confidence that Orochimaru would not leave alive.

"Seal!"

The Shinigami took the tanto out its mouth and brought it down with a great speed. The part of the soul Sarutobi had been able to drag out of Orochimaru's body was instantly sealed away inside of Sarutobi.

Orochimaru immediately felt what had been done to him. "My arms! I can't move my arms!"

Sarutobi held a content smile as he fell back to the ground, allowing the jutsu's fatal side effect take its course. Orochimaru wasn't sure what he should do. Jiraiya and other countless Konoha shinobi were quickly closing in on him, his invasion was a sure failure because of said shinobi were coming after him, and he couldn't move his arms.

The four figures that held the barrier up returned to their master's side. Three men and a female: One with six arms, one with two heads, a very large man, and a red-headed female. They surrounded Orochimaru to protect him in his weakened state.

"Orochimaru!" Jiraiya screamed as he jumped into the air, coming in for a killing blow on all five of them.

Suddenly, a cloaked figure appeared next to Orochimaru and grabbed ahold of him. The four others that surrounded them backed into the two and, in one giant burst of white smoke, they all disappeared. Jiraiya slammed into the ground and dispersed the smoke from the shockwave of his landing. They were all gone.

Jiraiya couldn't believe it, he honestly didn't think what he was looking at was real. Throughout everything that Jiraiya had been through in his life, his master was always a constant that he could count on. Even despite the lies and deception over the recent years, Jiraiya never thought his relationship with Sarutobi was irreparable and that they'd get back to the way things used to be. Now, there was no chance at ever learning anything more from him.

The Sandaime, Hiruzen Sarutobi, was dead.

 **-With Temari-**

The eldest of the three Suna siblings had no idea what to do, she was nearly having a panic attack as she continued to run as fast as she could with her younger brother was draped around her shoulders. And the fact that Kankurō stayed behind to hold off any resistance chasing them was weighing on her mind heavily as well. Her brother was strong but if a jōnin came to that girl's aid then…well, Temari didn't want to think about that.

Temari was barely able to make it out of the area before she had to duck into some alleys to avoid being seen by both Konoha and Suna shinobi, she was honestly more worried about her comrades finding out about her plan to get Gaara out of there over fighting a defending shinobi. The three of them would be branded traitors and would be properly executed for their betrayal with no argument from their father, hell he'd probably be the one to suggest the idea. Timing her movements perfectly, Temari was able to get over the village wall and hopefully disappear into the forest until the invasion was over.

"Uhhhhuhhhh…"

Temari stopped all movements and looked at her groaning brother. Gaara had been mostly quiet during their hast escape. The mental strain of the beast trying to take over was something that zapped Gaara of all his energy. The last time the beast was this close to being set free Gaara was left in a near unconscious state for a few days.

"Gaara," the dirty blonde began, "how are you-"

"Why…why did you stop me?"

"What do you mean why? We needed to get you out of there!"

A single eye of Gaara opened to reveal the eye of the Shukaku. "Mother is not happy, **Mother is angry!"** The red-haired jinchūriki forcefully grabbed Temari's throat and slowly lifted her off the ground. "You will pay for angering Mother with your life!"

A large amount of sand erupted from the gourd on Gaara's back, and just like before, encased half his body in a monstrous form. The large sand arm slammed Temari against a tree and bound against it with his sand. The poor girl was knocked unconscious from the impact.

The sudden sound of a pair of feet landing on a nearby branch drew Gaara's attention away from his elder sister to that of Sakura Haruno. She had been following for quite some time and had finally caught up to her opponent. Her face showed resolve and determination, but her eyes showed the extreme fear she felt.

Gaara smiled wickedly, his growing incisor teeth coming into view. "Are you afraid of me? Of my existence?"

Sakura wasn't sure how to respond, she wasn't sure if she should. She felt like any words that would leave her mouth would simply anger this guy more. Frankly, she didn't know what to say.

The lack of a response issued Gaara to launch his overgrown sand arm at Sakura. The pinkette quickly dodged and jumped to another branch, she dashed through the trees until she was sure Gaara had not tracked her moments. Another game of hide-and-seek.

"What's the matter?! Do you fear my existence that much to cause you to run?! After chasing me all the way out here, you still can't face me?!"

Sakura slowly breathed in and out, trying to figure out the mechanics of the sand manipulation. Right now, Gaara only had a large arm of sand that spread up to the side of his face and a larger tail that sprouted from his gourd. He was the same as before. She watched from her vantage point as Gaara began to frustratingly lay waste to the landscape, analyzing the movements of the sand and possible weak points.

Then Sakura saw her opening. The base of the arm and shoulder, the armpit. She drew a kunai from her holster and pulled out an explosive tag from her back pouch. She wrapped the tag around the handle. She knew there was no way she'd be able to hit the exact spot she needed to cause damage, she'd have to get in close. Sakura held a hand sign.

'It's time a used one of plans that Kurenai sensei and Hinata helped me think of to beat Neji.'

" _Ch_ _ō_ _shinka!"_ (Butterfly Needle Fire)

Gaara continued to destroy the land around him but stopped when he noticed an influx of pink winged butterflies, there was so many that the semi-transformed boy was surrounded. Gaara roared as he slashed his sand claw at the butterflies around him, but his attack fazed right through it. He was so caught up in his rage that he failed to notice the kunai flying in from the crowd of creatures and strike him directly in the armpit.

As if it were a flip of a switch, the pink butterflies all turned into explosive tags and every single one of them erupted in one massive explosion that was felt a good distance away. Falling out of the black smoke cloud, the damaged, semi-transformed Gaara hit the ground with a thud. The large sand arm clung to its master's body by a few strands while the rest of his body was covered with burns.

Sakura landed on a branch that was closer to the ground. "I may be terrified of you, but I need to prove to myself and to my teammates that I can fight. I can't rely on them forever if I ever want to be a great ninja."

Gaara eyes reopened with extreme fury, spinning into the eyes of the Shukaku. The sand enveloped Gaara's entire upper body, only leaving from the knees down uncovered. "My existence will prevail over your worth!"

As if receiving some boost in power, Gaara burst up from the ground and practically flew towards Sakura at such a high rate of speed. The pink-haired kunoichi was just able to jump out of the way as the sand blur collided with the branch and smashing it to splinters. Sakura went to land on another branch but misjudged her positioning and her foot slipped on contact. She was able to stay upright but the extra second she needed to regain her balance proved to be critical.

" _Suna Shuriken!"_

A barrage of shurikens made completely sand were launched out of Gaara's arm of sand, they covered such a large area that Sakura was virtually trapped. She crossed her arms over her face and closed her eyes as she braced for impact.

" _Taj_ _ū_ _Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_

A sudden burst of white smoke clouded Sakura's position just as the sand projectiles came crashing in. Sakura opened her eyes to see a wall made of multiple Naruto clones. The sand shurikens must have been strong because the clones were disappearing on impact.

"Now Sasuke!"

The black-haired Uchiha jumped out from behind a tree with the hand seals already completed, his Sharingan in full view. _"Katon: G_ _ōkakyū no Jutsu!"_ The ball of fire was shot from Sasuke's mouth and Gaara decided to take the blow head-on, knowing full well the sand could take the heat and flames.

Sasuke clicked his tongue and moved to his teammate's position. Naruto dispersed the remaining clones and looked back at Sakura. "You good, Sakura?"

Sakura nodded her head. "Yeah, thanks you guys. But how'd you find me?"

Naruto tapped his nose, but it was Sasuke who answered. "We were able to track you by smell through most of the village, but we lost it when we hit the forest. That explosion told us where you were."

Sakura nodded again. She stood up to her full height and dusted herself off. "I'm glad you guys are here, I was starting to think I wouldn't be able to beat this guy by myself. He's something else."

Sasuke couldn't help but grunt in agreement. "Yeah, I know. Our fight might've ended quick, but I had to go all-out from the beginning just to get passed his defense."

Naruto looked over Gaara's semi transformed state and had an inclination about what was going on. Naruto could feel the Kyuubi stir deep inside him, it seemed the beast was preparing himself for a fight. But that's not the only thing Naruto could feel, he felt something else when he looked into Gaara's demonic, sad eyes. All too familiar feelings.

Loneliness and betrayal.

Those sad eyes told Naruto a very lot about Gaara, something he didn't notice during their first meeting. The Kyuubi was right. Him and Gaara are the same. Not only in man and monster but they both knew what loneliness and betrayal was like. Two feelings that can lead a person down a very dark path. But there was a difference between him and Gaara. Naruto's dark path was dimly lit by a silver lining of a promise to protect people important to him.

'Hey furball, what am I looking at here?'

The Kyuubi shifted behind his cage. **"This is the Ichibi beginning his transformation. The boy is allowing the Shukaku to influence him, if he is not stopped then he will enter the full Tailed Beast state."**

'So, the full One-Tail will come out?'

" **Yes. But so long as the boy does not fall asleep then he will keep control."**

'Fall asleep?'

" **As the jinchūriki of the Ichibi, that boy has never had a full night's sleep in his life. The Ichibi torments the host with murderous thoughts. The Shukaku can freely take over his host during a deep slumber. The fact that this boy calls him 'Mother' makes me believe he's bought into the Shukaku's 'kill all humans' mantra."**

'Right…'

" **But be careful Kit, this isn't a normal opponent. This is a Tailed Beast, even if it is the One-Tail, do not underestimate him. The Ichibi's power trumps that of the Sannin."**

Naruto let out a long-gated breath. "Look alive guys, this one isn't going to be easy."

Sakura and Sasuke moved up and stood next to Naruto as they readied themselves for the fight. They both knew Naruto was serious, he normally wasn't one to say something like that. He was the confident one, never one to give the enemy the edge. Even in the face of a Sannin, Naruto's confidence did not wavier. If he was serious now then this was going to be a tough fight.

"Break him down, Sasuke. Tell us what you see."

The Uchiha nodded. He refocused his chakra to his eyes and his Sharingan went into full swing. "The sand he's surrounded himself with is coated with chakra, and a lot of it. He's distributing his chakra equally throughout the sand so any damage can be repaired quickly. But this chakra is not his own, I don't recognize it from my fight with him. It's all coming from his stomach."

"He has a second chakra source?" Sakura questioned.

"Yeah. And it's strong too, it's also probably the reason he looks like that right now."

"We either need to find a weakness in the sand or generate an attack strong enough to break through it. He's faster than before, it's gonna take all three of us. Also, he bound that girl to the tree, we should save her as well." Sakura added.

A memory triggered in Naruto's mind. A combined attack with all three of them, he done that already with his clones when he fought the Lingering Will. He used a _Katon, Doton,_ and _Fūton_ in tandem with each other, flaming rocks going as fast as the wind could carry them. It didn't do much damage, besides knock off one of the spikes on his helmet.

Gaara was growing impatient. "What's the matter? Do all three of you fear me that much?! C'mon! I want to feel my existence!" He threw his arms forward. _"Suna Shuriken!"_

Another barrage of sand projectiles were launched, Team Seven was forced to jump out of the way and on separate branches. Sakura and Sasuke landed on the same branch while Naruto landed in front of the bound Suna kunoichi, Temari was her name if he remembered correctly. He sunk his hands into the sand and tried to rip the sand grip off her, but it wouldn't budge. In fact, he could feel the sand tightening.

"Naruto! Look out!"

Naruto had no time to dodge and was roughly hit with Gaara's sand tail, throwing him through the air. He crashed through tree branches until he hit a main trunk. He groaned as he tried to shake off the pain. "You're tightening the sand around your own comrade?"

Gaara's fangs bared in full view with his mad smile. "She angered Mother, I could not let that stand. You should know what that's like!"

Naruto cracked his neck and he jumped to a higher branch. "Sasuke, get that lightning jutsu ready!" He crossed his fingers and created three shadow clones. "Sakura, toss as my explosive kunai you have!" All three clones went through the same hand seals. _"Kazakiri no Jutsu!"_ (Wind Burst Technique)

As lightning arched from Sasuke's outstretched palm, Sakura hastily grabbed as many kunai and explosive tags she had from her pouch, which amounted to seven kunai and four tags. Two or three were already put together. She realized what Naruto had planned and simply tossed them all in the air.

The large burst of wind came in from behind Naruto and swept all the equipment towards Gaara. Once they were close enough, the explosive tags went off and covered the surrounding area with smoke. Sasuke used the diversion and charged in with his Chidori ready to strike.

" _Chidori!"_

Shooting out through the opposite end, Sasuke landed on branch as the lightning died down. He immediately fell to one knee, his Sharingan fading from sight. "That…was my limit."

Naruto and Sakura landed next to the reeling Uchiha. Sakura looked over Sasuke to make sure he wasn't injured. "Are you okay, Sasuke?"

"I'm fine." He heaved. "That was my second Chidori today, I'm nearly out of chakra now."

"Did you get him?" Naruto asked, keeping his eyes on the disappearing smoke cloud. The clearing smoke revealed that Sasuke did, indeed, hit his target, and then some from the looks of it. An entire arm was missing as half of the monstrous face was falling apart. "Yeah, you got him alright."

Gaara feel to a knee as he tried to hold himself up with his other arm. 'That's the second time I've been hit with that jutsu. The sand isn't responding to my commands…I can't believe it.' "There's no way I'm going to lose to people like you!"

Large amounts of sand suddenly enveloped Gaara as an even larger creature began to form. As if the ground was its burrow, a sandy-brown tanuki with dark blue markings crawled out and towered over the landscape. Team Seven had to jump away so they wouldn't be immediately stepped on.

"Wha…what is that?" Sasuke questioned absentmindedly. Sakura was too bewildered to say anything.

Naruto was prepared to see the beast but still was wrapping his mind around the situation. 'This…is the Ichibi. The monster inside Gaara…'

The racoon looking bijū glanced down at his opponents as he aimed his arm towards them. 'To think I was forced to go into this form, but it doesn't matter, this is the end.'

Sand began to surround Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke. Sakura and Sasuke were losing their minds as the sand clouded their vision, Naruto, on the other hand, was calmly going through a series of hand seals. He really hoped he wouldn't mess this up, this was the first time he'd be summoning something this big.

" _Sabaku Kyū!"_ (Sand Coffin)

" _Kuchiyose no Jutsu!"_

Saving all three of the genin from certain death was an equally sized rusty red toad with a large blue happi vest, a dosu blade on his hip, and pipe between its bright red lips. Sakura and Sasuke looked around and realized they were no longer in the forest but high above it.

"Naruto, that you up there?"

"Yeah, it's me. My teammates are up here too. Sorry to bother ya chief toad but I didn't have much choice."

"I can see that. That's Shukaku, the sand spirit. What on earth ya doing fighting something like this?"

"The village is under attack, he's apart of the invading force."

The toad hummed in agreement. "Makes sense. Gamaken was summoned not too long ago, and Lord Fukasaku told me about your fight against that Orochimaru fellow. But that didn't answer my question. Why are _you_ fighting this particular spirit?"

Naruto looked across the way, he was still able to see the loneliness in Gaara's transformed eyes. "You know why."

The toad blew out a large puff of smoke. "I suppose I do. And I suppose you know fighting this thing is practically suicide on my part. But you are one of my henchmen, even though we haven't signed the deal over a cup of sake, I suppose I'll help ya."

Naruto smirked. "Thanks, Gamabunta. We'll seal the deal after this is all over."

"Tell ya friends to hold on tight!"

Gripping with everything they had, Naruto and Sasuke clung to the top of Gamabunta's head, while Sakura grabbed ahold of both her teammates, as he charged at the Ichibi. The large toad drew his blade and, using all his might, slashed through the Ichibi's right arm. Despite slicing the arm clean off, Gamabunta couldn't keep a hold on his blade and it went twirling in the air before cementing itself in the ground. The Ichibi's arm hit the ground just as hard and fell apart.

Gamabunta slid to a stop, feeling the trees being crunched under his weight. 'What a guy…he's so tough and heavy I could barely swing my dagger through him. I need to end this quick, the landscape is gonna start changing.'

Sasuke could only blink in amazement, he was blown away by what was transpiring. This battle was unlike anything he had ever seen. To think Naruto was capable of summoning such a fighter. "You have a plan for everything, don't you, Naruto?"

The blonde in question looked over his shoulder and shrugged. "My summoning contract with the toads wasn't easy to get, y'know. I had to earn it. Besides, I treat it as a last resort, I've never summoned a toad as big as the chief before. It took me forever just to learn the damn technique in the first place."

"You had trouble learning this jutsu?" Sasuke couldn't picture that, Naruto took to all ninjutsu naturally.

"That was before I figured out my shadow clone memory trick, I can learn any technique in the fraction of the time." Naruto noticed Sakura was shaking. It looked like she was trying to hold onto anything but Gamabunta. "Are you okay, Sakura?"

"O-Oh I'm fine!" Sakura dismissed the question by waving her hand in defense, as if she did something wrong. "I-I-'m just, uh, trying not to grab this t-toad's head too hard!" Sakura went to pat Gamabunta's but her hand barely made contact, and when it did she shivered and shot her hand back to safety.

Despite the situation at hand, both Naruto and Sasuke looked at Sakura incredulously. "Really Sakura? A fear of frogs?" The Uchiha questioned.

"Don't mock me!"

"I'm with Sasuke on this one. There are so many other things to be scared of, snakes for ex-"

"D-Don't get me started on snakes!" Sakura's cheeks flushed red from embarrassment.

"Quit squabbling you three! Pay attention to the fight at hand!" Gamabunta yelled out from underneath.

All three genin turned their attention back towards the monster that was their opponent. Rising out the Ichibi's head was the jinchūriki of the bijū, Gaara, only his top half was sticking out of the head. It seemed his eyes had rolled to the back of his head because all any of them could see was the whites of his eyes. "You're fun…you're really fun, Naruto Uzumaki!" He put his hands together to create a seal. "Thank you for entertaining me for so long, I'll reward you by showing you the full power of the Sand Demon!"

"So…that's the medium, huh…"

"The medium?" Sakura questioned.

"That's a name for those who've had a spirit such as the Shukaku sealed in them. Another name you might've heard of is jinchūriki, that's a more common name. Regardless, take a look under his eyes, those bags show heavy insomnia."

"Insomnia?"

"Those possessed by the Sand Demon, Shukaku, become so sleep deprived that they never get a decent night's sleep in their life. From my understanding, it's out of terror. If they sleep, their sanity is eaten away by the spirit bit by bit until it's gone completely. Because the medium suffers from lack of sleep, their mental state becomes quite unstable. But while the medium's awake, the Shukaku's power is naturally suppressed."

"So, we can't let him fall asleep. The beast will take over once he does. This isn't good…" Naruto already had prior knowledge to this from the Kyuubi but that didn't matter much now.

" _Tanuki Neiri no Jutsu!"_ (Play Possum Jutsu)

Gaara's eyelids shut the second he finished uttering the words as his upper body went limp, he had fallen into a deep, heavy slumber. The eyes of the Ichibi spun into greater life as the beast roared with a mighty screech.

" **I'm free! I'm finally out!"** The Ichibi locked eyes with Gamabunta. **"And there's someone I want to kill right off the bat! HIYAHOOOO!"** The beast raised his lone arm and smacked his belly. _**"Fūton: Renkūdan!"**_ (Wind Style: Drilling Air Bullet)

"We're gonna jump!" The massive toad used his long legs to launch himself over the fast-incoming bullet of wind that destroyed the landscape as it passed by. Gamabunta noticed that the Ichibi was about to hit his stomach again, meaning another wind bullet was coming.

" _Suiton: Teppōdama!"_ (Water Style: Gunshot)

" _ **Renkūdan!"**_

The bullet of wind shot from the Shukaku's mouth collided with the bullet of water that was shot from Gamabunta's mouth. The ensuing blast resulted in a heavy down pour on the surrounding environment, both Sasuke and Sakura were reminded of a storm. But blasting again was Shukaku and Gamabunta wasn't prepared for it, the wind bullet hit the toad dead center.

" **HIYAHOO! I did it! I killed him! I killed him!"**

Gamabunta hit the ground hard, Team Seven was somehow able to hang on during the crash from such a high height. Out of sheer luck, Gamabunta was able to fall next to his blade. He helped himself back to his feet with it. "Damn that one hurt! He pumped a lot of chakra into that one!"

"Are you alright, Chief?!" Naruto yelled out.

Gamabunta groaned as he felt his legs give out from under him, he didn't think he got hit that hard. "I'll be okay…but I think I'm done here. I haven't hadn't to fight like this in a long time."

Naruto nodded in understanding, despite feeling a sense of dread that they'd have to face this thing without him. "It's okay chief, we'll figure something out."

"What are we supposed to do?" Sakura questioned, she didn't see how they were going to fight this thing without the help of Gamabunta.

"Wake up the medium. Do that and he'll take back over."

"How?" Sasuke questioned further.

"Do I have to think of everything for you kids?! Get in close while his guard is down and punch the guy or something. I don't care, just wake him up! Good luck Naruto." With those parting words, Gamabunta disappeared in a giant plume of smoke. Team Seven fell back to the ground and were left alone to deal with this monster.

Naruto looked back at his two teammates, Sakura was fear stricken and Sasuke was trying to figure out what to do next. He couldn't think of anything; how could he think of anything? Their opponent was a freaking bijū, one of the strongest beings in the world. What were three genin going to do against a foe like that?

The best overall option was to retreat and wait for backup, assuming there was backup on the way. Team Seven wasn't all that far from the village but they were a good distance away that the Shukaku wasn't considered an immediate threat. And the situation inside the village, itself, was another factor, if there were still enemy shinobi inside the walls then dealing with an outside threat was not top priority. Another option was to summon a second toad to pick up where Gamabunta left off, but Naruto dismissed that plan. Gamabunta was the strongest of the boss summons on Mount Myōboku, only Fukasaku was considered stronger than him. And if he didn't have the strength to handle Orochimaru then what chance did he have against a tailed beast? There was only thing left…

" **I think it's time you whistled, Kit."**

Naruto slowly breathed in through his nose and let out the same breath through his mouth, calming his mind for the ensuing chaos. He held out his hand. "Yeah, I was thinking the same thing."

Both Sakura and Sasuke heard Naruto speak softly to himself, neither of them were sure if he was talking to them or not. Then they heard him whistle, it wasn't a hard or screeching sound but soft and harmonic. A whistle that jogged Sakura's memory because it was the very same melody she had in her head when she woke up after her match with Neji.

'Did…Naruto do that?'

A bright flash light momentarily blinded the pair. Once the light disappeared, Sakura and Sasuke saw Naruto now holding a straight, black bladed katana with an orange tassel on the bottom of the hilt that resembled a fox.

"You guys need to go back to the village and get help…I'll hold this thing off while you guys get away."

Sakura and Sasuke both looked at Naruto completely shocked, to even suggest the idea of one of them staying back was asinine. "W-What are you saying? You'll be killed!" Sakura screamed.

"Maybe…but if you guys get away then I'll fine with it. I have to be the one to beat him."

"What the hell is the matter with you, Naruto?! Why does have to be you?!" Sasuke yelled out. He wasn't sure why he was so angry. The only reasons that made sense were that he was angry that Naruto thought he was so strong that he didn't need help beating this spirit or that he simply didn't want his friend to face such a foe alone.

"Because me and Gaara are the same, two pieces cut from the same cloth. I didn't realize it before, but I was just one more bad day away from turning into what he is right now."

The two could feel the emotion and desperate truth behind Naruto's words. Sakura didn't understand. "What…what do you mean?"

Naruto turned his head and looked over his shoulder, showing off his scarlet, red eyes and darkening whisker marks. "I'm a jinchūriki too. I had the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed in me the day was born by the Fourth Hokage…and from then on I was branded a monster…just like Gaara."

It instantly clicked in both Sasuke and Sakura's mind, a lot of questions were finally answered about their blonde teammate. The stares. The names. The isolation. The special treatment by the Sandaime. Sakura felt tears forming in the corner of her eyes while Sasuke couldn't help but feel guilty.

Naruto saw his two dear teammate's reaction to this heavy news and felt like he wouldn't be able to handle their next words. He turned back forward. "Stay safe you guys." With those words, Naruto charged.

"Naruto!" Sakura screamed.

" **HIYAHOO! Let's get one more!"**

The Ichibi slammed his massive arm of sand on the ground to crush the puny blonde that was rushing towards him. He had complete confidence that he squashed Naruto, but he was surprised to Naruto running up his arm with great speed.

" **Boy you're quick!"** The Shukaku focused the sand on his arm to create tentacles and a series of other obstacles to slow Naruto down enough so he could be trapped and killed.

Naruto noticed the incoming attacks and readied Tojin to protect himself. The first was just a straight wall of sand that Tojin had no problem slicing through. The sand burst as Naruto powered through the cut-up sand wall.

 _Jump._

As if he was acting on pure instinct alone, Naruto jumped over the low incoming attack.

 _Slide._

Naruto landed running and immediately went into a single knee slide that dodged the attack completely.

 _Redirect and uppercut._

Naruto gripped Tojin tighter so that he wouldn't lose the sword during his counterattacks for the next sand attacks coming. A tentacle of sand was coming at Naruto from his left and his right. He jabbed the left one with the blunt part of the blade to simply redirect the sand and moved into the right position to uppercut the other tentacle in half with the sharp side. Now it was an open path straight to the head.

Realizing that his sand was doing nothing, the Ichibi threw his entire arm up into the air to launch Naruto off him. The sand spirit was quick to the draw and slammed his massive hand against his stomach.

" _ **Renkūdan!"**_

Realizing there was no way to get out of the way of the fast-incoming wind bullet, Naruto braced himself for impact. He knew he was done. If Gamabunta could only take one of those and be out of commission, then what chance did he have?

 _Channel your chakra and swing._

Naruto gripped the hilt as hard as he could and funneled all the chakra he had into Tojin, causing the blade to glow brightly. He swung it with all his might and shot a crescent wave of energy that collided with the wind bullet. The resulting explosion gave Naruto the cover to throw Tojin like a kunai without detection, the Ichibi was completely unaware of the sword until it pierced Gaara in the right shoulder.

"AAAAAAHHHHHH!" The boy screamed awake.

" **AW! C'mon! I just got here!"** The Ichibi's screech completely drowned out Gaara's as his consciousness was forced back into suppression.

Gaara shakily gripped the blade, attempting to pull it out, but even that caused greater pain. His right arm was useless to him now, he couldn't form the other half of the hand seal to bring the Ichibi back out. But he still held the form, there was chance.

Naruto was in a freefall towards Gaara, it was time to end this once and for all. He reared his fist back as he continuously fell closer. Coming within striking range, Naruto was suddenly stopped by sand wrapping around him. Mere inches away from landing the final blow. The stop was rough enough to untie Naruto's hitaiate, allowing to freefall to the ground.

Gaara stared at Naruto square in his scarlet eyes. "You're going to be killed by me! My existence will continue because of your death!"

Willing all his strength, Naruto used the only mobile part of his body. His head.

"I'VE HAD IT WITH YOU!"

The crack that echoed was heard all the down to where Sakura and Sasuke were watching, which was a good few hundred feet or so. They could even see the blood begin to flow from the point of impact. The sand manifestation of the Ichibi began to crumble and break apart into minute grains of dirt that became apart of the earth, even the sand binding Temari to the tree fell apart. Naruto and Gaara crashed through branches as they, too, fell back to the earth.

Gaara was fortunate enough that the katana did not plunge itself any further through him as he went through countless twigs and brush before landing roughly on his back. He laid on the ground, already going numb to the pain from the foreign object that was in the right side of his chest. He slowly rolled his head to the side to see Naruto crawling towards him on his hands and knees, determined to finish what had been started.

"D…Don't come any closer!"

The blood dripped off Naruto's face and he continued to crawl.

 _Kill him._

They were the same, two young boys scorned by their past because they were 'chosen' to be the 'heroes' of their villages.

 _Put an end to his suffering._

Even now, Naruto could see the loneliness behind the fear in Gaara's eyes. He knew he was going to die. Alone. In a forest of a completely different land. Was that what was to come when war came their way? For him? His friends? That didn't feel right.

 _It doesn't matter what's right, all that matters is the next kill._

He's felt unnecessary his whole life, an existence that would be 'extinguished' if he didn't prove worth through merciless killing. Nothing more but of a tool of war. Naruto thought they were the same, they were in a lot of ways. It wasn't quite it though. The worst apart about the whole thing was he knew the same pain.

Naruto willed himself to his feet and gripped the hilt of Tojin, slowly extracting the blade from Gaara's body. He held it in an underhanded position as he brought his other hand to steady his aim. He moved the tip of the blade over the intended target: the jugular.

Naruto raised the katana straight up.

"My existence won't be put out!"

 _Put him out._

"Ah!" Naruto screamed as he plunged the sword down.

Gaara closed his eyes as he waited for the release of death. Instead he felt drips of a liquid hit his face. Rain? No, the skies were clear. It had to be the blood splatter from his neck opening. The only logical explanation. Out of habit, Gaara opened his eyes to see that the blade missed its mark and had been embedded into the ground next to his neck. The liquid hitting his face was falling out of Naruto's two-color shifting eyes.

He was crying.

"Being alone…feeling incomplete…betrayed by the one you loved most…that pain you feel, I get it. But for the people I hold close to my heart…it doesn't matter who you are or what we both feel…if you hurt them…I will kill you."

Gaara could only stare at the blonde. "What…? All of this, for others? Why?"

"Because they stopped me from feeling alone…I have something to fight for because they were there for me…even when I didn't want them too. It was hell…but they've gotten me through it all…"

Gaara felt everything going black, he was utter drained and exhausted. 'Love…that's why he's so strong…'

Naruto watched Gaara's eyes roll to the back of his head and pass out, he almost was jealous. He wanted to rest like that. Tojin let out a harmonic, melodic tune before fading away back to wherever it is the katana goes. The events of the entire day began to catch up to Naruto as he, too, felt drained, fighting a bijū would certainly do that. He began to fall back as his legs to give out, maybe he would rest like Gaara.

Sasuke was quick to catch his teammate. "That's enough, Naruto..."

Naruto tiredly looked at the Uchiha. "Where's Sakura?"

"I'm here." Sakura said as she knelt on the other side and helped Sasuke hold their teammate.

"You're both out of chakra…you did it. You beat him." Sasuke acknowledged, this was something far beyond he was able to do. How Naruto was able to do it, he hadn't a clue.

"You're…really strong Naruto." Sakura was just as flabbergasted as Sasuke, she had never seen anything like what Naruto just did.

Naruto chuckled slightly, a small smile gracing his features. "…Is that so…"

Suddenly, Kankurō landed next to the unconscious Gaara with Temari draped over his shoulder, all the while having that puppet strapped to his back. He was hesitating to reach for his brother.

Sasuke and Sakura both readied themselves to fight.

"Stop…" Naruto spoke up. "Get out of here. Now"

Kankurō wasn't about to let the opportunity slip away. He hastily grabbed ahold of Gaara and held on tight before jumping away. Both Sakura and Sasuke looked at Naruto for an explanation but they were surprised to see that he was sound sleep in their arms.

Sasuke could only smirk while Sakura smiled fondly.


	20. Chapter 20

Shikaku Nara hated council meets. He knew the importance the meetings held but that did not lessen the boredom he felt during each one. But, for obvious reasons, this emergency meeting was different. The three elders of Konoha called this meeting in the wake of the attack for one simple reason: select the next Hokage.

Homura Mitokado, Koharu Utatane, and Danzō Shimura were not only elders of Konohagakure but also served as advisors to Hokage. These three had been around since the days of the Shodaime's reign and were behind many decisions that shaped Konoha to what it was into today. Shikaku has had disagreements with these three in the past, it was his job as the Jōnin Commander and Konoha's top strategist to challenge their decisions and make them think about the ramifications, but he never thought Homura or Koharu were using their position to achieve personal goals. Danzō was a different story.

"What say you, Shikaku?"

The Nara clan leader snapped out of his inner thoughts when he heard his name. "Excuse me?"

The three elders rolled their eyes, it was just like Shikaku to space out during these meetings. Apparently, this one was no different. "Lord Daimyō asked for your assessment on our casualties." Homura stated.

The feudal lord of the Land of Fire, the political leader of the entire nation. In Shikaku's opinion, the Daimyō's position was a bit of a front, given to the richest man in the land. In reality, it was the Hokage who mended political fences with other countries. The Hokage was the one who put in the work, the Daimyō just took the credit. At least, the Land of Fire's Daimyō didn't do much. This man was indecisive and was easily swayed by outside opinions, Shikaku was certain he had never seen the Daimyō make a decision for himself during one of these meetings.

Shikaku let out a sigh. "The loss of life was unfortunate, but it was far less than what we anticipated. The amount totaled to 136 dead with over 150 wounded. We were caught off guard completely, but we recovered amazingly. The villager evacuations into the catacombs of the Hokage Mountains were executed flawlessly, only a small handful a villagers were injured or killed."

"That is good to hear." One of the advisors of the Daimyō chimed. The Daimyō's advisors took up an entire side of the table.

"Yes, it is." Another advisor agreed, this one was for financials. "With the recent attack, the Land of Fire will do anything within our capabilities to help Konoha rebuild. We will need to set up a budget and consider-"

"Rebuilding damages is the least of our concerns." The ANBU commander suddenly spoke up. His mask resembled a bear. "Excuse my interruption, but all of this can wait. With the unfortunate death of the Sandaime, we need to discuss new leadership. Everything else can be decided once we figure out the next Hokage."

The Daimyō nodded as he fanned himself. "Yes! You are most certainly right! I am open to suggestions."

"I believe it should be Jiraiya of the Sannin." Koharu said. "What say you, Jiraiya? Are you finally up for the job?"

"Yes! Splendid choice! You've been my personal favorite for quite some time!" The Daimyō cheered.

Standing off in the corner of the room was the white-haired Sannin himself. His arms were crossed, and he had a sad, yet fierce scowl on his face. "I apologize Lord Daimyō but I'm going to decline."

Frankly, no one was surprised by this. Jiraiya had been a candidate for the position for some time now. In fact, he was a front runner for the title back when they were decided who the Yondaime would be. But he bowed out of that race the second he was offered it, simply because he didn't feel like it was his position to have.

The old warhawk, Danzō, scoffed. "What's your reason for declining this time? I certainly hope it's not because of your 'research'…like it was last time."

Jiraiya's stare hardened on the man with a bandaged eye. "If you had offered me the position six years ago when I was in the village last then I probably would have said yes. But now…with everything that's happened between me and the old man…I feel like I don't deserve to be his successor. But sensei always wanted one of us three to take over for him. And since Orochimaru can't and I won't, that only leaves one."

"Ah, Tsunade Senju? She's the granddaughter of the First Hokage, is she not?"

Koharu nodded. "Yes, she is, Lord Daimyō. But she hasn't been in the village in quite some time, we are currently unaware of her whereabouts."

The ANBU commander spoke up next. "Lady Koharu, the last reported sighting of Tsunade was somewhere in the Land of Fire. That was roughly five years ago."

The Daimyō sighed. "That is unfortunate, Tsunade had a fine lineage and reputation that would've been perfect for Hokage."

"Actually, Lord Daimyō, I know where Tsunade is…for the most part."

All eyes quickly turned back to the toad Sannin in the corner of the room, the only ones who were not surprised by Jiraiya's revelation were the three elders. "Of course, you do." Danzō commented.

"Why do you say that, Lord Danzō?" One of the advisor's questioned.

"Their relationship is very well documented in their personal files. Teammates turned lovers…what a crock of shit. Those two are the very reason we do not allow teammates to engage in physical relationships. It can, and will, be too distracting and can jeopardize a mission. It's also the reason why we only have one Sannin in Konoha instead of two, if 'Princess Tsunade' had been here then Orochimaru would have certainly been dealt with."

As if the tension wasn't already high enough, that last comment made it go through the roof. Everyone waited to hear Jiraiya's rebuttal, even the ANBU commander wanted to hear this. Shikaku, however, seemed to be lost in his own mind.

An unexpected chuckle came from the Sannin. "My relationship with Tsunade had nothing to do with her leaving the village. And since when did you become so interested in what we did when we turned off the lights? Things getting a little stale in your old age, Danzō? It's only natural for someone of your age to have trouble."

"Enough Jiraiya!" Homura groaned in annoyance. "We do not need to be getting into this. Getting back to the topic at hand, you said you know where she is. Explain yourself."

Jiraiya nodded. "Right. As Konoha's spy master, it is my job to uncover possible threats and learn classified information on our nation's enemies, I also keep track of those who have the power that are equal to my own. Personal feelings aside, I've tracked Tsunade's whereabouts incase we needed her medical knowledge or superhuman strength. She's still in the Land of Fire, more than likely in the small gambling town, Tanzaku."

"That's a fair distance away from Konoha." An advisor informed.

"But not out of the question." The ANBU commander chimed in. "A team of my fastest ANBU could reach her in half the time anyone else could."

Jiraiya spoke up again. "That probably wouldn't be the smartest choice sending a team of ANBU to retrieve Tsunade. She has a bit of a temper. I will personally go to Tsunade."

"Do you approve of Tsunade becoming the Fifth Hokage, Lord Daimyō?" Koharu questioned.

The man nodded in approval. "Yes, I do believe it is a fine choice. When will you leave Jiraiya?"

"In the next day or two."

The Daimyō nodded. "Very well. Is there anything else?"

There were a few moments of silence that followed the Daimyō's question and no one responded immediately. Having reason to believe that was it, the leader of the Land of Fire was about to adjourn the meeting. That is until the Nara clan member raised his hand.

"Lord Daimyō, I do have something I would like to bring up."

"Go ahead, Shikaku."

The scarred man sighed in mild annoyance, despite being the one who asked to speak. "Though, I feel this troublesome question could be saved for after the meeting, I'm inclined to include all of you in this." Shikaku leaned forward in his chair slightly to look down at the elders. "I'm just curious as to why you didn't throw your own name into consideration for Hokage, Danzō."

The attention shifted to the man in question. The warhawk remained stoic. "Whatever do you mean, Shikaku?"

"You questioned every decision the Sandaime ever made and even tried to convince him to stay retired after the death of the Yondaime. And regarding Lord Jiraiya's personal relations with Lady Tsunade. I've read both their files and neither of the files say anything about any relationship beyond teammates. Care to explain how you know what they did in their personal time."

"It was my job as one of Hiruzen's advisors to question him, that's what he wanted from me and I delivered. And you haven't read _my organization's_ files on them, which go into greater detail."

Shikaku narrowed his eyes. "Ah, how could I forget…your own organization, ROOT…the dark ops."

Danzō turned and looked at the jōnin. "I do not appreciate the sarcasm, Nara. If it wasn't for my organization, there would a lot more threats to the village than just Orochimaru. And to answer your curiosity, I don't feel like it's my time to cement my legacy into the ranks of a Kage…not yet at least."

Shikaku, and Jiraiya for that matter, knew that Danzō was lying through his teeth. Everything Danzō did was for a reason that only benefited him. The man had a plan. He always did. Shikaku leaned back into his chair. "I've said all I wanted, Lord Daimyō."

The Daimyō nodded. "Anything else?" Silence followed. "Very well. The funeral should be beginning soon. Let us adjourn and prepare."

Within a few minutes, the meeting room had emptied. The Daimyō and his advisors were the first to leave, escorted by a team of ANBU that were waiting outside the meeting room. The three elders went on there way after bowing to the leader of the land. Shikaku was half down the hall himself before he was stopped.

"I never thought I'd see you stand up to Danzō." Jiraiya said, walking side by side with the Nara clan member.

"The things he was saying didn't add up in my mind, he may have the wool pulled over the Daimyō but you and I both know he wants to be Hokage for his own personal gain. I'm still trying to figure that out."

"You aren't the only one, Danzō is a crafty old bastard."

Shikaku nodded. "Not be rude, Lord Jiraiya, but I don't think your talking to me because I called Danzō out on his bullshit."

"Not much gets passed you, Shikaku. But yes, I do have something I need to share."

"What about?"

"The Sandaime and the shady things he's done."

 **-At the funeral-**

The weather that came in time for the one mass funeral matched the mood of the entire village of Konoha. The rain poured like the sky, itself, was sad for the death of the Third Hokage and everyone that died in the attack. For some none of this seemed real, as if they were in a bad dream and couldn't wake up. For others they knew what they were looking at was reality.

The beloved Sandaime was gone.

The funeral was held a top of the Hokage Tower. The ones who gave their lives were honored by having a picture placed on a small pedestal, with enough room for flowers or other memorabilia could be placed, with a picture of the Third Hokage at the center. The family members of the deceased were the only ones allowed on top of the tower with the pictures, along with the family members were the elders, the Fire Daimyō, and other high-ranking members of the Konoha society.

Among the sea of black clothing that surrounded the tower were the members of Team Seven, Sakura and Sasuke stood with their jōnin sensei, Kakashi, as they waited for their turn to pay their respects to the fallen. Sakura already knew the third member of their team wasn't there, but she couldn't help glancing around every now and again to see if he had shown up.

"Naruto's really not coming…"

Managing to glance at the pink-haired girl beside him momentarily, Sasuke eye's shifted back to the grieving procession. "I don't think so…I haven't seen him since we found out."

It was still fresh in Sasuke's mind, the memory from when the three of them made it back to the village after intense battle with Gaara. They had been met by Kakashi, who was covered in blood and bandages. Kakashi tried to break the news to them as gentle as he could. Sasuke was grateful for that, he could clearly recall how Naruto had gone eerily quiet and still for well over a minute before giving a piss poor excuse and walking away without receiving medical treatment.

Sasuke thought about going against his usual nature to try and find Naruto to talk to him, to make sure he was okay. But the Uchiha had a feeling Naruto didn't want to be found, or at least found by him. The revelation about his self-made promise to protect Sakura made Sasuke think that he shouldn't be the one to find him.

"I'm worried about him…" Sakura softly spoke again.

"He came before the service started…that's what Lord Jiraiya said." Kakashi said just as softly. "But we talked about this beforehand, Sakura. The villagers wouldn't like him being here."

Sakura somehow frowned harder. "But why should that isolate him? Having… _that_ sealed in him shouldn't mean anything…right?"

Kakashi placed his hand on the young girl's shoulder. "Does it mean anything? Now that you know his burden, does it change anything?"

Honestly, this is all that's been on Sakura's mind for the past few days. It's the reason she didn't go try and find Naruto herself, she wasn't sure what to say. Did she feel guilty? Yeah, a little bit. But guilt wasn't all she felt. She was sad that Naruto had to go through so much alone. He was always there for her and Sasuke, and near once has he expected them to do the same for him. That was about to change.

"Yeah, it does change something. Naruto's been alone for a long time. He's had to deal with everything by myself. He's not going to be anymore. I'm not going to let him be alone anymore."

Kakashi gave one of his classic eye smiles, he was glad to hear that. Even Sasuke had a small smile, silently agreeing to everything what Sakura said.

The service went on for a while longer, allowing the family members to grieve as long as they needed. Soon after the service had concluded, anyone who wanted to were allowed go up to the tower and pay their respects to the fallen shinobi. Team Seven were among the last to go up there, Team Eight had just gone before them. Sakura noted Hinata looked like she had made a full recovery from fight against Neji, she was glad to see that she and her team made it through the attack without heavy injury. Everyone from their graduating year was safe.

Once the team had finished their silent prayers for the Third, Kakashi went on his way to do whatever it was he did during his free time. Sasuke and Sakura walked aimlessly through the village. There were no conversations, no talking. It was as if all the villagers had come to an unspoken agreement to keep the silence in the fallen's honor.

"Hey Sakura…" Sasuke's words cut through the silence as he stopped in the middle of the road.

The kunoichi gave her teammate a curious look through her saddened eyes, she waited for Sasuke to say what he wanted. He normally wasn't one to begin to say something and not follow through.

"There's something I gotta tell you…about Naruto. I think you should know."

 **-With Naruto-**

He wasn't sure how long he had been sitting under this bridge, he really didn't care. He was out of the rain and alone with his thoughts. Was it a good thing Naruto was alone with his thoughts? Probably not but it's really all he could do right now. He wasn't going to the funeral, which he suspected was close to being over with, that would be a headache in of itself. It was better that he wasn't there, his presence would have taken the attention off where it needed to be. No doubt a riot would've ensued because of the 'demon' was 'disrespecting' the heroes.

A pain raced across Naruto's heart. He grimaced and his face contorted with pain as he gripped his black shirt over his heart. This pain had been a reoccurring thing since his fight with Gaara. This pain was familiar, he knew what caused it. But it wasn't possible for what happened to him when he was younger to come back. It was cured by the best.

" _You're going to be great, Naruto. I have no doubt about that. You will change this world, I can't wait to see what you'll do."_

His grip became tighter. Was it only a physical pain in his heart? The Sandaime was the only one there for him after Jiraiya left and it turned out the Sandaime was the one who had lied to Naruto about major things in his life. First, it was Jiraiya's mission that left him alone and stranded in Konoha. Then he never revealed his parenthood to him, not telling was the same as lying in Naruto's mind. All for what? What was the reasoning for it?

Well, now he'd never know. The Third Hokage was dead. He sacrificed his life to end the threat of Orochimaru. But he failed, Orochimaru escaped gravely injured. The sadness he felt for the death of the Hokage wasn't what he thought it would be. He had gone to pay his respects before anyone else, but he did not cry. He just stood there in the rain and looked at the picture of the old man, wondering what the point of it all.

"Naruto? You down there?"

Naruto would've drawn his kunai if he hadn't recognized the voice that had called out to him, he relaxed when he saw the person come into view. It was Sakura, she was utterly soaked from the rain.

"Sakura? What…what are you doing out in the rain?"

Sakura shook off as much as the rain as she could before she knelt on both her knees next to her teammate. "I was looking for you, silly. I wouldn't be running around in this weather without a good reason."

"Good…reason?"

Sakura smiled softly. "Yeah, that's you."

A few moments of silence passed between the two, the only sound was the patter of rain hitting the bridge that covered them. Sakura figured she might as well get to the point of her being her.

"Sasuke told me about that promise of yours…about the flower I gave you."

"…Did he now?"

Sakura could get see Naruto trying to hide his frustration and embarrassment, she took a little pride in the fact she was able to do that just by knowing about a promise he made over her giving him a flower. The entire time she had known him Naruto usually kept his emotions to himself. "I'm sorry about not remembering it. My mom just got so angry and I never liked disappointing my parents, I guess I just pushed it out of my mind. I'm really sorry Naruto…if I had known then-"

"You don't have to be sorry, Sakura. I understand, it's okay."

Sakura nodded. "But why didn't you ever say anything? Or ever try to talk to me before we became Team Seven?"

Naruto continued to hide emotions but the quiver in his voice betrayed him. Everything he had been holding in for so long was beginning to spill out. "B…Because I was scared. I…I didn't want anything to happen to you. These villagers are afraid of me because of the Kyuubi and lashed out at me every chance they get. You…being next to me wouldn't stop them. Hell, they'd probably think I was holding you hostage or something."

Sakura sat and listened intently, it broke her heart. She could feel the raw emotion and pure fear that she could be hurt for being by him. She told herself that she wouldn't let Naruto be alone anymore. Everything he did, he did alone. He lived alone. He trained alone. He grieved alone. He suffered alone.

Pushing her audacity to the limit, Sakura reached out and laid her hand on Naruto's shoulder. It was a slow movement, but she brought her teammate into a soft embrace as his head slowly descended until it was resting on her shoulder. A skipped heartbeat was barely registered as she tenderly held the sorrow filled boy.

"What can I do?" She whispered softly. Sakura wanted to let him know that he wasn't alone anymore. He had lost someone, they all had lost someone in the Third Hokage, but there were still people that cared for him, she wanted him to be able to feel secure with someone again.

"Don't…don't go." His arms slowly wrapped around her gentle frame. "I'm scared…Sakura. I don't…I don't wanna be alone anymore."

Sakura tenderly rubbed the blonde's back. "You won't be. That's my promise to you."

 **-Just outside Konoha's walls-**

Two dark cloaked figures with red clouds whose faces were concealed by white tassels that hung from their straw hats. The taller of the two had a large sword that was wrapped in bandages strapped to his back by a brown sash. The second figure had his cloak unbuttoned to mid-chest and had his left arm resting there.

"We arrived a few days early…" The taller man waited for his partner to respond, as expected he did not. "The news about the attack seems to have spread pretty fast, Suna and Oto really did a number on this place." The retort was still absent. "It must take some sort of genius to realize that this was all Orochimaru's doing. I mean, they even found the Kazekage's decomposing corpse not too far from here."

The taller man waited yet again, waiting for his partner's comeback. But no matter how much time passed, the man remained silent. The taller man sighed and looked at his partner. "You've been really preoccupied lately. I'm not sure if I want to infiltrate Konoha while your mind is elsewhere."

"You don't have to worry." The man suddenly spoke up. "I already have several plans for infiltrating and escaping the village without an issue with our target intact."

The taller man couldn't help but snort at his partner's words. "And here I thought you were just going to say fuck it. But are you aware that the Sannin, Jiraiya, is still in the village? What should we do about him?"

"His presence in the village has been taken into consideration when I formulated the plan for the mission." The partner stated. "We will follow through with what we agreed on and adjust accordingly to accomplish our objective."

"We will be one short though, we arrived early but it seems Gaara is no longer here. Not that it really matters, the Kyuubi is our intended target." The taller man sighed. "But honestly, Itachi, couldn't have your plan included staying a night in a brothel instead out in the cold?"

"Kisame…shut up."

A sigh escaped Kisame. "You're no fun, Itachi. Anyway, I'll be fine as long as I get a front row seat to the Uchiha family reunion."

Itachi had already returned to absolute silence.

 **-With Sasuke-**

The rain had finally let up and the sun was beginning to shine through the dissipating dark clouds. Sasuke wasn't one to stay hidden indoors so he decided to head back outside to get some fresh air before turning in for day. But the Uchiha wasn't in the mood to go to the fields and train, which was a surprise.

Sasuke was acutely aware of his massive increase in strength over the last month, it was obvious where the boost came from. The Curse Mark. He unconsciously ran his hand over the black tattoo-like mark. Orochimaru called it a 'gift'. Orochimaru said he could give him the power to kill Itachi and avenge his fallen clan.

The young Uchiha believed that sentence, Orochimaru's strength is very well documented. And he got to see that strength when he battled against him in the Forest of Death. There was no question the Sannin was holding back, he even handled Naruto's impressive onslaught from what Sakura told him. Orochimaru could very easily provide the necessary training that Sasuke needed to take down his older brother.

But Sasuke hated handouts, especially when it came to training and building himself up as a strong shinobi. He wanted to prove, not only to himself but, to everyone that knew what Itachi did by sparing only him wasn't a fluke. He wanted to prove that he was the one who was supposed to put Itachi down for good. And the only why he was ever going to prove that was by himself, using no one to further his ability.

"Oh _Sasuke_!"

Sasuke really didn't want to deal with _her_ right now. He was starting to get used to not being ogled by every girl near his age every minute of every day. Largely due to Sakura toning down her fangirl nature, it was still there but not as annoying as it used to be. Yes, there were days he didn't mind the attention but, more often than not, he preferred to be on his own.

Audibly groaning, Sasuke turned around to see Ino practically bouncing her way towards him. "What can I do for you, Ino?" But there was another person that caught Sasuke's eye, Hinata was trailing behind the platinum blonde.

"Are you busy?" Ino tried to make sure herself seem as attractive as possible, her arms were at her back as she slowly swayed back and forth. She even leaned forward at the waist slightly, trying to make herself look curvier. Sasuke did have to admit that Ino was attractive, but none of that business really interested Sasuke. Besides, Ino was way too loud and prone too many outbursts for Sasuke's liking. He preferred someone a bit more reserved.

The Uchiha shrugged. "Can't say that I am. Why?"

Ino's smile shined even brighter. "Oh, nothing really! It's just a bunch of us are getting together at the barbeque place. The guys are already there, me and Hinata came to find you, Sakura, and Naruto too!"

Sasuke raised his eyebrow, he was having a hard time figuring out why Ino was so cheerful about this. "What's the occasion?"

"The best way I can describe it is a sort of celebration, we all made it through the attack without serious injury. It was all Shikamaru, Kiba, and Chōji's idea really."

Now that surprised Sasuke. "Lazy boy had a hand in this?"

Ino nodded. "Yeah! Kiba was the one who suggested it. And we all know Chōji won't turn down a free meal and if Shikamaru doesn't have to put much effort into it he's game for pretty much game anything. So…will you come?" There was a hint of redness to her cheeks, seemingly embarrassed and or flustered.

Sasuke wasn't sure what to do here, he had never been in this kind of situation before. He was never the one to really go out and hang out with other people, he really preferred his privacy. Ever since _that night_ , everything Sasuke did was alone. He'd been alone for so long that he missed it when he was with others. It wasn't that he didn't want to be around his comrades, it was simply that the congregation of them all was something he wasn't used too.

Frankly, to put it simply, Sasuke was socially challenged. But he didn't see a problem with going to get something to eat and everyone from their graduating being there. He had known them all for a long time, it wouldn't be so bad.

Composing himself, and putting his pride on the line, Sasuke nodded. "Yeah sure, I'll come by for a while."

Sasuke had never seen a person smile as hard as Ino did when his answer registered in her mind. Even Hinata had a small smile adjourning her features, while practically hidden in a crowd of villagers.

"Great! Let's go!" Ino looped her arm around Sasuke's as she practically began to drag him to the restaurant. Hinata kept up to the best of her ability but she could hardly follow.

"W-What about Sakura and N-Naruto?" Hinata's question fell on deaf ears as Ino took off with Sasuke.

Already regretting his actions, Sasuke sighed as he felt like he was being dragged by a horse. He looked up to the sky to see the blue breaking through and the sun shining brightly. A black crow slowly glided through the air. Sasuke followed the bird's path for a moment, trying to remember the last time he saw a black crow.

As Ino continued to pull Sasuke like a disobedient dog, the Uchiha watched the black crow as if he was waiting for it do something. There was something about that crow that Sasuke just couldn't shake, it was too familiar that he couldn't let it go. He kept his eyes trained on it for a good couple minutes, allowing Ino to bring him wherever she wanted. Sasuke was so fixated on the crow that he didn't even register that they had arrived at the restaurant.

Ino turned back to see Hinata jogging up behind her and Sasuke. "Did you say something, Hinata?"

Hinata panted for a moment. "Y-Yes…w-what about Naruto a-and Sakura? You said we w-were going to find them too?"

Ino sighed. Yeah, she had said that, but she really wasn't going to go looking for them. She didn't want that broad forehead girl to butt in her time with Sasuke, and Naruto was just plain odd. "Do you know where they are, Sasuke?"

The black crow finally landed on a nearby pole and Sasuke was finally able to get a decent look at it. Once he saw the red tint in its eye, Sasuke's adrenaline went into overdrive and he broke out in a full sprint.

' _He's here somewhere! I have to find him!'_

Ino was surprised by his actions. "Sasuke!" She was confused but wasn't going let this happen, she was finally going to some time with her beloved and him getting cold feet wasn't going to stop her. The platinum blonde took off after the Uchiha heartthrob. "Wait up!"

Hinata watched the scene unfold and could only sigh, she wished she could have the confidence like Ino had. To chase after one's crush without hesitation, Hinata could only dream of that. The Hyūga girl blushed at the thought of the blonde genin and she too wanted to get him to come, building up her courage Hinata jogged after Ino once again.

 **-With Naruto and Sakura-**

Neither of the two realized how long they stayed under the bridge until the patter of rain had stopped and the sudden warmth of the sun shined around them. They had moved out from under the bridge to stand on it and enjoy the sunshine. Not much was said between the two, there wasn't a need to speak. Naruto was content that he could just enjoy a person's presence and Sakura was glad Naruto wasn't feeling alone, that's what she promised so that's what she was going to deliver.

"Ah, young love…such a fucking waste of time."

Both Naruto and Sakura instantly jumped in alarm to the new voice, it wasn't hard to find because the person was standing directly to their left. A very tall, muscular man wearing a black cloak with red clouds and a large bandaged sword was strapped to his back by a brown sash. His face was almost shark-like and had a distinctive blue-grey color.

Naruto's senses immediately kicked in. 'How the hell did I not sense this guy?!' Sakura's train of thought was similar.

Kisame mockingly put his hand out, as if he did something wrong. "Oh, did I ruin the moment? My bad. Allow me to fix it." He reached up and gripped the gold handle.

Not a second had gone by before the portion of the bridge Naruto and Sakura were standing on had turned to dust in a sizeable explosion. Half of the bridge was now gone and Kisame stood on the end of the remaining end, he looked down to see a pair of white bracelets and a set of old chakra weights lying in the mud. The two genin had just landed a good distance away.

"Alright, you've got my attention blondie. That was some serious weight you just dropped to dodge my strike."

Naruto didn't register the compliment, he had no idea how he snapped off all four weights simultaneously _while_ grabbing ahold of Sakura _and_ jumping out of the way. Honestly, Naruto impressed himself. The two genin took fighting stances.

Kisame smiled wickedly in excitement as he swung the massive sword with ease. "I'm glad you see it this way, I was really looking forward to testing you Naruto."

The blonde in question tensed up when his name was uttered, Sakura just looked confused that this man knew who Naruto was. "You know me?"

Kisame's shark-like teeth shined through his smile. "I do. I'm Kisame Hoshigaki, formerly known as the Monster of the Hidden Mist. Now that we're acquainted, let's get on with this shall we?"

By the deep slash through his headband, Naruto and Sakura realized this man was a rouge shinobi from Kirigakure. "What's a rouge ninja from Kirigakure doing here in Konoha? And what do you want with Naruto? There's nothing for you here." Sakura questioned.

"Oh, there's plenty for me here, pinkie. But none of it concerns you, I suggest you run along and save yourself."

Sakura didn't even entertain the idea of running away, if Naruto was staying then she was staying too. Naruto glanced over at the pinkette and contemplated telling her to leave but decided against it, she didn't leave when he fought Orochimaru. He figured this time would be no different. Naruto steeled himself for fight.

Throwing his hands together, Naruto went through a series of hand seals in rapid succession. _"Katon: Kary_ _ū_ _dan!"_ A hail of fire burst out of Naruto's mouth and shot towards Kisame. 

The shark man slammed his hands together. _"Suiton: Suijinheki!"_ Ejecting large amounts of water out his mouth, Kisame created a wall of water to shield himself from the fire bullets. The two collided and created a blanket of steam.

Both Naruto and Sakura were utterly shocked by what they had just witnessed. "H-He just created his own water…" Sakura gasped.

"The amount of chakra that takes…this isn't good."

Kisame burst through the steam with his massive sword and brought it down with great force. Both Naruto and Sakura jumped out of the way, barely evading the crashing object. Now on either side of the man, the two genin charged. Keeping his eyes trained on Naruto, Kisame simply stuck out his hand to catch Sakura's kick while he swung his sword at Naruto. A second later a sickening blow made impact with Naruto's midsection, causing several cuts.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled as she tried to free herself from Kisame's grip.

The man resembling a shark turned his head to look at the young kunoichi. "You've got some fight in you, I like that in a woman. But you're far too young for my taste." Kisame kicked Sakura with great force and launched her into a nearby tree, the poor girl was extremely dazed and practically unconscious.

"Sakura!" Naruto screamed as he pushed his body off the ground, he could feel his blood starting to run down his body.

"Hahaha!" The laugh directed the blonde's attention back to the swordsman. Kisame brought the sword forward and removed some of the bandages. "Let me present you, Samehada!" The man announced as he revealed how the blade of his weapon was covered by large, blue scales. "This sword is meant to reduce its opponent to shreds by a single slash…" A smirk made its way back onto Kisame's face. "Though that's not all." He added before disappearing.

The Konoha genin didn't have time to do anything as the rouge shinobi appeared in front of him and Samehada came down over his body. Kisame was mildly surprised when Naruto burst into smoke, he never saw him create a clone.

" _Rasengan!"_

Naruto jumped out from the partially destroyed bridge with a spiraling sphere of condensed blue chakra in his hand, he thrusted it forward to end his opponent with one attack. Kisame brought Samehada up to block Naruto's jutsu. The two fought for dominance as shockwaves erupted from their clash, but all of it was short lived.

Naruto suddenly felt his jutsu lessen in strength, he pumped more chakra into it but it all was zapped away just as quick. The sphere disappeared and Naruto was left defenseless. Kisame capitalized and grabbed ahold of Naruto and threw him on the ground, he brought down Samehada on Naruto's back to hold him on the floor.

Naruto tried to push his body off the ground, but the strength Kisame was holding his sword was too much for him to move. _'My body…it feels heavy…'_ He tried to focus his chakra to generate more strength but, even then, he still couldn't move. _'It's like my chakra is being taken from me…'_

A small scoff from Kisame caught the boy's attention and snapped him out of his thoughts. "It seems you're experiencing Samehada's other ability." The swordsman pushed his sword down with more force, driving its sharp scales deeper into Naruto's back. The genin barely held back a scream. "Samehada is awfully vicious. Apart from slaughtering its victim, it feeds on the victim's chakra…slowly eating away their supply until nothing is left. All the while growing stronger with each bite."

Kisame's smirk grew into another vicious smile. "I know your type brat…" He emphasized his point by pushing down even further, trying to get a scream out of the boy. "Since you have an abnormally large chakra supply, you tend to make up for the lack of precision by adding an extra kick of destructive power. There's nothing wrong with that, I do the same thing. But you come across someone with the ability to counter it and everything turns to shit..."

Naruto's eyes widened because of the fact he never realized that about himself. He never considered why his techniques were so strong despite being low ranking jutsus, he just figured it was the Kyuubi giving him an extra boost.

"Ever since this whole mess started, Samehada has been slowly eating away at your chakra. It's only because of your massive chakra supply that it took so long for your strength to be affected. You see, I'm the best suited to take you down! You and I, we're natural enemies! Because I have the ability to cancel out all of your strengths…jinchūriki!"

Naruto's eyes widened even further after that. His face scowling from the pain and anger. "H-How do you know about that?!"

A laugh followed the genin's question. "Because it's the reason I'm here. The group I'm apart of is hunting down and capturing _all_ the Bijū, all of those living catastrophes that reside in you sacrifices." He chuckled before continuing. "It's honestly a shame that you got caught in this crossfire by having the strongest of the nine Bijū sealed inside of you. With all that chakra of yours, you had the potential to be something really, really powerful…oh well, shit happens."

Naruto's mind immediately went straight to Gaara. The Kyuubi had mentioned that he was the strongest out of the nine other bijū, but the beast never said anything about others having bijū sealed inside them. The only one Naruto knew about was Gaara.

Still confident he had his prey under control, Kisame continued to talk. "If I'm honest, I was convinced it was going to be a pain in the ass to get this close to you. We were certain that the old fart of a Hokage would have a twenty-four-hour surveillance on you. I was looking forward to massacring wave after wave of Konoha ANBU, but then the geezer went and died. His death left this village in the worst state it's been since the Kyuubi attacked." He practically was laughing at this point. "If that wasn't an invitation for us to come and get you, I don't know what is!"

Kisame raised Samehada up again just to slam swiftly brought it back down onto Naruto's back. The sickening impact of the blow caused the few birds remaining in the area to fly away. Naruto laid on the ground nothing short of a bloody mess. The young man was dimly aware of where he was, and it cost him a great deal of effort not to pass out right there.

Forcing himself not breakout in a fit of laughter, Kisame crouched next to the barely conscious boy. "Truth be told, this makes a little sad. I would've loved to fight a more mature and experienced you." Seeing it no longer necessary to cut up his prey, Kisame swung Samehada to his back. He grabbed the boy's leg and began to drag him away.

 **-Somewhere in the village-**

The funeral had been over for quite some time now, there was no point in going to pay his respects where he could easily be spotted. Besides, the stone he was standing before had the names of all Konoha's heroes etched into it, it felt right to stand here once again.

The kunai-shaped structure was craved out of a black stone that had many names etched all around it, names that were forever immortalized as heroes for their sacrifice of the greater good. The Memorial Stone. A place Itachi wished he could be remembered by…a wish that could never be fulfilled.

Itachi gracefully slid his hand over the stone, feeling the names craved in. The Sandiame's name wasn't on there yet but he knew it would be on there soon, where it belonged.

"I'm sorry…"

Suddenly feeling the presence of a newcomer, Itachi swiftly pulled his hand off the stone and brought forth his persona. The elder Uchiha glance cover his shoulder to see one of the few men he held in such high regard.

"Kakashi…it's been a long time."

The silver-haired jōnin kept his guard on high, evident by his fully visible Sharingan. "Of all the times you decide to come back…and come here of all places."

Itachi turned around fully, his own Sharingan in his eyes. "I had heard he had died, I wanted to confirm."

"His name isn't on that stone yet, you of all people would know that. I'm the one who told you in the first place." Kakashi stated. "Why are you here, Itachi?"

"My organization has sent me here looking for something…the Yondaime's legacy."

Kakashi barely had to think on what that meant. He instantly put the pieces together of the things Jiraiya had told him. "So…you've fallen into more darkness and joined the Akatsuki. How fitting you've come back to the village you betrayed. What does your organization want with the Kyuubi inside of Naruto?"

Itachi was not surprised in the slightest that his former mentor knew of his membership to the secret group, he had expected it. The former Konoha shinobi had a hunch where he learned this information as well. "That is none of your concern, old friend."

"He is one of _**my**_ students, any harm that comes to him will forever be my concern…just like how it used to be with you."

Itachi met Kakashi's hard gaze. "Does it still haunt you…being the one who taught me the skills to take down the Uchiha clan?"

The tightness of Kakashi's closed fist gave Itachi the answer he already knew. "I failed you, Itachi…I took you under my tutelage when you made ANBU. I saw a lot of myself in you…I wanted to you save you from the pain I live with. I'm not going to fail Naruto, I'll die before I let you capture him."

Itachi closed his eyes. "You were never an Uchiha, yet your body can handle the stress of the Sharingan. Only an Uchiha can harness the true power behind these eyes. I'll show what a true Sharingan master looks like." He began to open his left eye.

Kakashi realized what Itachi was planning and knew he was in for a world of trouble. He closed his non-Sharingan eye and focused as much chakra to his Sharingan as he could, in hopes to combat what was coming. _'_ I should be able to fight this off since I have the same eye as him!'

Itachi's left eye reopened fully. "I see you are trying to challenge my Mangekyō…however my Tsukuyomi can only be beaten by a pure blooded Uchiha!"

Kakashi suddenly found himself in a completely different place then he just was. He was no longer in the field that housed the Memorial Stone but in a dark place with a red sky. He tried to move but his arms and legs were bound by metal cuffs to a wooden cross. The only thing he could see were the grey silhouettes of multiple Itachis, each with a katana in hand.

"GUAHHH"

The closest Itachi silhouette stabbed Kakashi in the side, leaving it in there to draw out the pain. "This is my Tsukuyomi. All of space. All of time. All matter. Everything is under my control. For the next seventy-two-hours, I will continue cutting you with my sword."

"GUUUUAAAAHHHHH!"

Kakashi snapped back to reality and instantly fell to his knee, he was breathing as heavy as ever and quickly losing consciousness. He figured he had only seconds before everything would go black. 'Even though it felt like three days…it was instantaneous. Why didn't he just kill me?'

With blurry vision, Kakashi took one last glance at the Uchiha killer before collapsing to the ground.


	21. Chapter 21

Itachi groaned in pain as he deactivated his Mangekyō Sharingan, the pain was getting worse with each use. The exhaustion side effect of the Tsukuyomi was not helping either, another use and he wouldn't last a minute in a serious fight. But he had prepared for this.

The elder Uchiha reached inside his cloak with his right hand and fumbled around for a moment. He pulled out a small container of pills. He twisted off the cap and, like taking a swig of sake, brought the bottle to his mouth and swallowed a few of the contents.

Placing the bottle back in his cloak, Itachi stepped over Kakashi's unconscious body and began to make his way out of the training field he was in. He stopped momentarily and glanced back over his shoulder to look at his old comrade, then continued his path.

A few minutes passed after Itachi's departure when a third man entered the field and landed next to Kakashi. A long, white spikey ponytail swayed as he looked over the unconscious jōnin.

"They're early…"

 **-With Naruto-**

Forcing himself not breakout in a fit of laughter, Kisame crouched next to the barely conscious boy. "Truth be told, this makes a little sad. I would've loved to fight a more mature and experienced you." Seeing it no longer necessary to cut up his prey, Kisame swung Samehada to his back. He grabbed the boy's leg and began to drag him.

Chirp chirp chirp chirp…

The deafening sound of a thousand birds suddenly overwhelmed the area, catching the rouge shinobi's attention. Kisame was forced to drop Naruto's leg and jump as the ground seemingly exploded. Kisame brought his hand back to Samehada's golden hilt and watched the dust settle, a smirk forming on his face.

' _Those two really are brothers…it's like I'm staring at a younger version of Itachi…Sharingan and all.'_

Sasuke's Sharingan glare narrowed at the strange man's smirk. Shifting his eyes, he noted the current state of both his teammates. Naruto was laid in a pool of his own blood and Sakura had barely moved. Black tattoo-like markings began to slowly spread from his left shoulder.

"What did you do…?"

Kisame completely disregarded the question. "So, your Sasuke, huh? I've heard a lot about you." He continued as he brought his sword forward. "I was hoping I'd get to run into you while I was here. There are a lot of people expecting great things from you, I want to see what all the fuss is about."

Sasuke hid his intimidation by allowing the curse mark to spread up his neck and stop just below his jawline. He could easily tell that this guy was strong if he was able to put Naruto into that state. "What did you do to them?" There still was no response. "Damn it, answer me!"

"Sa…Sasuke…"

A pained call from behind him caused Sasuke to turn back and look at his friend. Naruto was trying to push his battered body off the ground. "Stay down Naruto! You've done enough!"

Naruto slammed his fist into the ground and grit his teeth, he focused his eyes on his teammate. He could see the curse mark spreading up his neck. "I'm…alright, just…give me a minute." He pushed himself even harder.

With his Sharingan activated, Sasuke could see two different chakra signatures being gathered at his comrade's wounds. But the foreign chakra was much more prominent than Naruto's own chakra. The realization coming to him that the foreign chakra was slowly healing the injuries. _'That must be the Kyuubi's influence, normally I can't see the beast's chakra inside of Naruto. From the looks of its Naruto's used up most of his chakra and the Nine-Tails is compensating the rest…I guess that explains why he has so much chakra. But for Naruto to be in such bad shape…these two must've been fighting for a while now.'_

It was that black crow that tipped Sasuke off that something was wrong. To Sasuke, black crows were a bad omen. The second he saw that damn bird land on a pole, and he noticed the red tint in its eye, Sasuke's adrenaline went into overdrive. He had only seen that crow once before in his life. The night everything in his life changed.

The night _he_ killed everyone.

Sasuke was sprinting as fast as he possibly could to find him, that crow was an invitation for Sasuke. An invitation for a fight. He had come back for whatever reason and it was today that the nightmare would end. All the pain and suffering would be stopped. Today, the Uchiha clan would be avenged.

He just had to get past a fish out of the water.

Kisame noticed the fast spreading marks on the young Uchiha and was interested by them. He had never seen something like that before, he had an idea where they came from and who was responsible for it but that hardly mattered. This was perfect, if Kisame was honest, Itachi said not to use lethal force against either of these two. But he never said anything _defending_ himself.

Kisame began to run with Samehada being dragged behind him, tearing the ground as he charged. Sasuke's Sharingan flared as he charged head long into this fight. Samehada came in fast and smooth from the Uchiha's left, Sasuke ducked and jumped back up for an uppercut. Kisame was far too advanced for a simple tactic and was already able to dodge the strike. Sasuke had predicted his opponent to dodge and planned accordingly, he executed a series of hand seals and built up chakra in his mouth.

Staring Kisame directly in the eye, Sasuke spit fire out of his mouth. _"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

The resulting explosion was near instant, the black cloud of smoke trailed off into the air. Sasuke jumped out of the cloud and landed near his original starting point. He was certain he had landed a critical blow; his scorched clothing was evidence enough for that.

"That wasn't bad, I won't lie." Kisame spoke through the smoke. He swung his massive sword and dispersed the smoke, revealing that his left sleeve had been burned up to the elbow. "I can't tell who's stronger right now, you or the fox kid back there. But I will say your Sharingan has progressed very well, whatever that black shit is on your neck really works for you."

Sasuke wasn't necessarily surprised to see that Kisame come out of that last attack virtually untouched. He had hoped for a bit more than a burnt sleeve but if this guy was as strong as he claimed to be then a fireball to the face at pointblank range wasn't going to be nearly enough to beat this guy. He was going to have to go all out from the beginning again…why was this becoming a regular occurrence?

The young Uchiha went through the three necessary hand seals and gripped his left wrist to hold his hand in place as lightning began to arch from his palm with the sound of a thousand birds filled the area. Sasuke's Sharingan eyes glared at Kisame as he funneled every ounce of his chakra into his jutsu. And it seemed the curse mark affected the jutsu because there were flashes of purple in the sea of the blue lightning coming from Sasuke's hand.

Kisame caught a hint of a familiar chakra. _'So, that snake had a hand in those black markings. Itachi mentioned once he tried to take his Sharingan, this must be the second attempt. I wonder how he'll react to that…'_

Kisame swung Samehada over his head and attached the sword to his back. Unlike that jutsu Naruto used, Samehada won't be able to block lightning, even if it was chakra. He was going to have to overpower it. Honestly, he might have to get a little serious. Water was a good defense against lightning but that was a double-edged sword, lightning would hurt him greatly if the electrified water touched him. Things were certainly about to get interesting.

Kisame created a single hand seal and the remaining water began to swirl around his lower arm in the shape of shark's mouth. _"Suiton: Same K_ _ō_ _sh_ _ō."_ (Water Style: Shark Bite)

A tremor seemed to run through the area as Sasuke exploded from his position towards Kisame, thrusting his hand forward. _"Chidori!"_ Just as Sasuke was about to clash Kisame's miniature shark, his movements suddenly were halted. The young Uchiha looked up to the very man he had been wanting to kill, the one who spared him that night to be the avenger that he was always meant to be. Itachi stopped Sasuke's curse mark powered Chidori from clashing with Kisame's jutsu with a simple grip of his wrist, completely deactivating the lightning.

Kisame couldn't help by sigh as he deactivated his jutsu. "You just had to ruin my fun, didn't you…?"

Itachi glanced at his partner out of the corner of his eyes. "I said no lethal force, Kisame…on either of them."

"YOU!" Sasuke's eyes flared as he roared in unrivaled fury, his curse mark spreading further across his face and practically covering his upper torso. He swung himself up to kick Itachi in his head which was easily blocked, but the purpose was to free himself from Itachi's grip and it worked. Sasuke landed back towards Naruto, who was still struggling to even get to his knees. Breathing hard, Sasuke strained his eyes as he glared at his older brother.

The memory of that night was, and will be forever, scorched deep in his mind, haunting his dreams every single night. Every single man, woman, and child of the Uchiha clan had been slain, Sasuke just so happened to be out training late when the massacre happened. He ran through the entire compound hoping that someone was still alive, someone had survived. Tears rolling down his face, Sasuke feared the absolute worst when he reached his home and saw the blood splatters on the windows.

Once inside, he found every ounce of courage to open the door to his parent's room. There he saw his mother and father piled together on the ground with large gashes in their bodies with their killer standing over them. Sasuke's very own beloved older brother, Itachi.

It was him, Itachi had killed them all. Sasuke knew it the second he realized it was him standing over their parent's bodies. He screamed at the sight of his parent's lifeless bodies and collapsed, his fear and disbelief overtook him. He was somehow able to muster the question why. The answer almost seemed beyond comprehension.

" _It was to test my abilities. No more, no less. It had to be done for the sake of my own accord."_

"…I've been waiting for this for so long!" A third Chidori was slowly being formed, Sasuke's chakra had been utterly drained from the first two. But that hardly matter to Sasuke, everything was going to end today. Blue quickly turned to purple as the curse mark began to compensate for the lack of chakra. "I've lived hating the mere thought of you!" The heat emitting from Sasuke's jutsu was immense, it was burning his hand and scorching his clothes. "And I've lived with the sole purpose of killing you!" Gripping his collar with enough force to tear off his tattered shirt, exposing the black markings across his chest and stomach, Sasuke roared as he charged with his hand engulfed in purple lightning.

"I'VE LIVED FOR THIS MOMENT MY WHOLE LIFE! TODAY IS THE DAY YOU **DIE** , ITACHI UCHIHA!"

Itachi seemed less than worried that his younger brother was charging at him with the power of a lightning storm in the palm of his hand, he was more focused on the tattoo-like tome that were across Sasuke's entire upper body and head. Predicting every step of Sasuke, Itachi reached out and caught Sasuke by the neck. The lightning disappeared instantly.

Itachi lifted Sasuke off the ground and brought him in close, their headbands practically touching. Sasuke used his remaining strength to try and break free but it was no use. His chakra was all but gone and the curse mark wasn't helping anymore. Was that everything? After all that's happened, that was it? What was he doing all this time? Why was the gap between their power so vast?

Itachi examined the black markings as they were slowly receding back to their origin on Sasuke's neck. He could recognize the chakra clear as day, it was a perfect match. He would have to figure out a way to deal with that later.

"You can't kill me because you don't have enough… _hate._ "

The words echoed inside Sasuke's mind, giving him new life in his drive to kills his older brother. He looked into Itachi's eyes and instantly regretted it. He was thrown into a dark world and was forced to live out the horrors of the night everything changed for an everlasting twenty-four hours, which past in a mere second in the real world. Sasuke's entire body went limp as he was dropped unceremoniously to the ground.

"So, that was the great Uchiha family reunion…I'm a little disappointed, I expected that kid to put up more of a fight." Kisame commented as he moved next to his partner and noticed his state, Itachi was near exhaustion. "And here you are lecturing me about lethal force while you are pushing yourself to the brink with that ultimate genjutsu of yours. That must've been the second time, right?"

Itachi said nothing as he looked on towards the blonde he had come here for.

Naruto was able to make it to his knees as the Kyuubi's healing factor finally kicked in, steam rose out of the tears in his jacket as the wounds closed. He looked on as Sasuke laid motionless on the ground, he glanced over his shoulder and saw that Sakura was still struggling to remain conscious herself. He was out of options and time, he needed to save them both before anything more could happen to them.

"It's time for you to come with us, Naruto." Itachi said as he moved towards their target.

A soft whistle made the elder Uchiha look curiously at Naruto before a quick flash of light caused Itachi to stop in his tracks. The blonde was now holding a black bladed katana with an orange tassel on the end of the hilt. Naruto's facial features had changed as well, his eyes were now demonic red with silted pupils and his whisker birthmarks had widened and darkened considerably.

"I'm not going any-"

Both Kisame and Itachi looked on perplexed, Naruto had stopped mid-sentence and froze. His eyes widened greatly as a small trail of blood fell out of the corner of his mouth. Itachi focused his Sharingan and noticed the irregular beat of his heart, something was _wrong._ Naruto dropped to the ground face first, Tojin disappeared before it was able to touch the ground.

"Okay then…" Kisame commented as he wondered what just happened. "Is he playing possum?"

Itachi shook his head. "No. I can see his heart beat, it's irregular and can't regain a normal rate." He focused his Sharingan even further to analysis Naruto's chakra system. "He isn't exerting any chakra, so this isn't a jutsu."

"So, you're saying he had a heart attack?"

"More or less."

Kisame shrugged and began walking towards the boy. "Lucky break for him." He chuckled. "Now I don't have to chop off a leg."

The rouge shinobi stopped in front of the young jinchūriki and bent down to pick up the body. Just as he was about to grab Naruto's collar, a strong kick came in and hit Kisame _hard_. The impact alone had enough force to send the shark man back, the follow through sent him flying. Kisame had no idea what hit him until he had come to a stop after crashing into a decent number of trees.

Itachi watched unaffected as his partner was sent packing through a handful of timber. He wasn't surprised by the man who did it either, it was the only man inside of Konoha that could do that. The Legendary Toad Sannin, Jiraiya, had finally showed up.

Jiraiya immediately knelt down next to his godson and looked over him. He recognized what was happening and his anxiety went into overdrive. He glared daggers at the elder Uchiha. "What did you do to him, Itachi?"

Itachi remained stoic. "What happened to him was not mine or Kisame's doing, it was natural."

"Bullshit! What's happening to Naruto right now was cured a long time ago."

"Believe what you want, Sannin. My conscious is clear about him. No matter if he lives or dies, the Akatsuki will gain control over the Kyuubi. One way or the other."

Jiraiya was not willing to play this game any longer, he had only moments before the other member would return. He had no doubt he could take them both on at the same time until backup arrived, but he didn't want to just fight them. He wanted to **end** them. Plan or not, Itachi Uchiha crossed a line he shouldn't have.

Standing to his full height, Jiraiya drew blood from a bite to his thumb and smeared down from the inner corner of both his eyes and across the red lines already on his face. He was going to go all out from the start and Itachi noticed this. Kisame jumped back into view and landed next to Itachi, Samehada drawn.

"Finally, someone to give me a real challenge!"

"No Kisame, we did not come here to start a war with this village. We need to fall back and recover."

Kisame glanced at his partner. "What's with your change in tune?"

"This is one of the legendary three we spoke about earlier. Even at full strength, the two of us together would have a difficult time defeating him. Besides, I've used my Sharingan too much today, I need to rest."

Kisame's mind clicked with the information and conclude the same thing, fighting a member of the Sannin was no easy task. Especially with one that was this pissed off, definitely not a good idea. The shark man sighed and swung Samehada onto his back. "Very well, let's go."

The two Akatsuki members merged into a very close proximity and a swarm of black crows appeared around them until the red clouds on their robes disappeared into nothing, the crows soon followed their creator. Jiraiya made no effort to follow, those two were not his priority. The white-haired Sannin spun on his heels and brought his godson into his arms, he placed his hand over Naruto's chest to feel what his heartbeat was like. It was far worse than he expected.

'It's a strong beat but irregular, it's a lot worse than last time. I need to get Tsunade back to Konoha fast!'

Jiraiya hoisted Naruto in his arms and positioned him over his shoulder, he had to keep his other arm free for the other two. That's when he noticed something he missed when he first arrived, something he should have seen but was too focused on his godson to care about anything else.

"Hey!" He called out towards a particular bush. "Get over here and grab your friends, they need your help!"

The shrub shifted momentarily until two girls burst out in a panic. Ino and Hinata had been hiding in that same bush ever since Ino had figured out which way Sasuke had went after he took off. The pair ran up to Jiraiya, unsure what to do next.

"How long were you two out there?" Jiraiya questioned, as he picked up the unconscious Uchiha boy with his free arm. "What did you hear?"

"I-I-I-I-I-" Hinata couldn't help her horrible stutter at the sight of Naruto, and Sakura and Sasuke for that matter, in such a defeated state.

"W-Who are you?" Ino quivered. "W-Where are you taking them? Who were those guys?" She had just witnessed two strangers destroy three of their friends, Jiraiya understood her skepticism.

"I'm a friend of Naruto's, we'll be taking them to the hospital. But whatever you two heard you will **not** speak of it to anyone, understand?" The two girls dumbly nodded in agreement. "Good. Now, go grab your pink headed friend over there and follow me to the hospital, okay?"

"A-Are they going t-to be alright?" Hinata managed to form a coherent sentence.

Jiraiya forced the best smile he could. "Everything is going to be okay, little one. We gotta go. Now!"

 **-With Sakura in Naruto and Sasuke's hospital room-**

The pink-haired kunoichi of Team Seven sat between the two beds of her fully unconscious teammates and continued to wonder what all just had happened in last few hours. She was barely conscious herself when she was brought to the hospital, the only thing she could remember clearly was that Ino and Hinata were the ones to carry her through the door. Everything leading up to that point was all a blur to her.

Sakura rubbed her bandaged midsection, she didn't think a single kick could crack a few ribs. Then again, Naruto did mention a person who could kill with a single punch, so she figured it wasn't out of the realm of possibility. Especially since that shark looking guy was able to handle Naruto without much effort. But that's not why Naruto was in the hospital.

According to Jiraiya, Naruto's heartbeat was irregular, and it was causing his body to shut down. He used another word that really caught Sakura's attention: cancer. That word just breathed something bad that Sakura didn't like. Sasuke was in a similar boat apparently, his mind had taken a considerable amount of damage and trauma that he was forced into a coma. No medic could do anything for either of them.

Sakura looked around the room. Ino was on the other side of Sasuke's bed while Hinata was on the other side of Naruto's bed, while Jiraiya had just left to 'go get things ready'. Whatever that meant, Sakura had no idea.

"Okay, okay, okay…I need some help here, Sakura." Ino began as she moved around Sasuke's hospital bed to stand in front of her best friend. "I'm going to ignore who those guys were that attacked Sasuke and Naruto for now, but I am not going to ignore that guy who just left! Who was he?"

Sakura sighed, she did not want to deal with Ino's outbursts right now. "That was Lord Jiraiya, one of the three legendary Sannin."

The word 'Sannin' clicked in Ino's head and why it sounded so familiar. One of those three legendary shinobi had just invaded the village, with a combination of Suna and Oto forces, and killed the Third Hokage, whose funeral had just been held earlier that day. "You mean he's a teammate of that Orochimaru guy who killed the Hokage?"

"I think 'was' is a better word but yeah, they were teammates. But we already knew that from Iruka sensei when we were in the academy."

"Yeah, I remember. But that doesn't explain why he's around us genin."

"Lord Jiraiya is Naruto's godfather." Sakura said in a matter-of-fact tone.

Ino's eyes were as wide as dinner plates. "What?! You mean to tell me that Naruto is related to a freaking Sannin?!"

"Look Ino, Naruto isn't very keen on the whole sharing thing, alright? And they aren't related, Lord Jiraiya is Naruto's caretaker!"

"Alright alright." Ino put her hands up as a sign she wasn't going to question Sakura about Naruto anymore. For some reason she was getting irritated by them. "Then who were the guys who attacked you guys? They didn't seem like normal ninja."

"Y-Yeah. When I used my Byakugan, I saw the one with the sword had e-extremely high chakra reserves." Hinata added.

"I really don't know who those guys are, Naruto didn't seem to either. But they knew him."

"They did?" Ino asked.

Sakura shrugged, though it caused her a bit of pain. "That's what the shark guy said."

Suddenly, the door to the hospital room opened and Jiraiya stepped back in, now with a bag attached to his broad back. He completely ignored the three kunoichi in the room and watched straight up to his godson's bedside. He placed his hand on the unconscious boy's shoulder. "I'll be here when you wake up this time…I promise."

Sakura couldn't help but eavesdrop on the private words. "Are you going somewhere, Lord Jiraiya?"

The white-haired Sannin looked at the pinkette. "Yes…I am. You don't have to worry, I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Ino asked.

"I'm going to find the one person who can help these two."

"I'm coming too!" Sakura burst to her feet but immediately felt the pain of her injuries, she wrapped her arms around her already bandaged midsection.

Jiraiya smirked, that tenacity reminded him of the very same woman he was about to retrieve. He wished he could go see her under better circumstances, perhaps she'd more welcoming that way, but Tsunade will be running back to Konoha the second he tells her about Naruto's condition. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll be okay on my own."

"Please, Lord Jiraiya, allow me to accompany you…for Naruto's sake. He's been there for me, allow me to be there for him. I made a promise to him too."

Jiraiya mulled over the idea of this girl coming with him, if he remembered right her name was Sakura, he originally was going to have Naruto come with him so it would be easier to convince Tsunade to return to the village but that was no longer an option. "Go home and pack a bag. If you aren't at the gate in an hour, I'm leaving without you. If you can't keep up, I'm leaving you behind. We do not have time to waste."

Sakura nodded as she ran past her two friends and the Sannin, rushing to her home to throw whatever she had whatever available into a bag. She wasn't sure what she'd encounter on this journey, but if it meant she could protect Naruto for a change…Sakura was willing to see it through to the end.

 **-Somewhere in the Land of Fire, Tanzaku Town-**

Tanzaku Town, the capital of gambling inside the Land of Fire. It was home to some of the best bars, brothels, and casinos…not to mention the scum and villainy that came with that. For every game, there will always be a winner, a cheater, and a loser. This town was home to all three. And the most famous loser of them all just lost the last of her money in the most rigged shell game.

Two women walked away from the street game and headed towards their hotel room, that they would need to figure out how to pay for now. The first woman had fair skin and straight blond hair that parted above her forehead, which adorned a purple diamond in the center, that reached her lower back tied in a pony-tail. She was a slender, curvaceous woman with noticeably large breasts. She wore green-grass haori with the kanji for gamble on the back, inside a red circle, over a grey, kimono-style blouse that was held closed by a broad, blue obi belt that matched her pants. The second woman was also fair-skinned and had onyx eyes and jet-black, straight shoulder-length hair. She wore a long bluish-black kimono with white trimmings, held closed by a white obi belt. In her arms was a small, pinkish pig with a white pearl necklace. Both women had open-toed sandals with low-heels.

Once inside their hotel room, the blonde woman flopped on the bed in frustration as she continued to rack her brain on how they were going to pay for their supplies and growing debts. "I hate losing…"

"Lady Tsunade," the black-haired woman began, "maybe that street game wasn't the best idea…those games are almost always rigged."

"You saw that jackpot sitting next to him Shizune! I would've been a sucker had I not played!"

"Well, the 'Legendary Sucker' _is_ your nickname…" Shizune muttered under her breath.

"What was that?!"

"N-Nothing m'lady!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes at her apprentice/attendant. She knew Shizune meant well and was always looking out for her, but she wished once the woman would have a backbone and not whisper when saying things like that. The blonde Sannin reached inside her pocket and pulled out a ticket stub for a lottery, the ticket stub had a set of numbers on it and the jackpot was worth her weight in ryo. The overseer of the event said that the winning set of numbers would be announced in the weekly newspaper, which came out today.

Tsunade read the numbers on her stub then the numbers in the newspaper. She repeated the process a few times. "Hm."

"What is it, Lady Tsunade? Did all the numbers match up?"

"…Yeah, they did. I won the five million ryo jackpot."

Shizune took in a deep breath, as if she was about to let out a loud scream of joy, but the noise died in her throat when she noticed her master's expression. She looked bothered, a troubled expression adorned her features. She thought Tsunade would be full of joy winning that lottery, the amount had enough to clear her debts and them some. "Is everything alright, m'lady?"

'How could I win something like this? I've got a bad feeling.'

 **-With Sakura and Jiraiya-**

If Jiraiya was to say anything, he'd have to say he was extremely impressed by what Sakura had done for the past few days in their race to Tsunade. To start off, Sakura was _waiting_ for him at Konoha's main gate with her bag ready to go. She said she was prepared to be gone for two weeks and that she was ready for anything. Secondly, she kept up with him. While the duo wasn't moving terribly fast, Jiraiya set the pace at a decent speed. It was apparent the girl had been doing a lot of speed training to get to her current level. And lastly, she _knew_ medical ninjutsu. They had stopped to catch their breath and eat a quick meal when she used an entry level healing technique to help with the pain of her ribs. When Jiraiya asked where she learned medical ninjutsu, of course Sakura's answer was Naruto. The Sannin honestly should have saw that one coming.

Currently, the pair had stopped for the day and had just checked into a roadside inn. Because they were staying for one night, the inn keeper said they would have to share a room. Jiraiya decided to be respectful and allowed Sakura to do whatever hygiene she needed in privacy. The young girl was thankful for that. Rumors about the Sannin being a huge pervert were circulating around the village since his return a month ago. Naruto never mentioned anything about him being a pervert, but then again Naruto rarely talked about the man as it was.

Once Jiraiya was back in the room, the two sat on separate cots and relaxed a bit. Sakura couldn't help but noticed what the Sannin was doing, he was shifting through a bunch of papers and writing notes in a book.

"What are you doing, Lord Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya continued his actions as he answered the pinkette's question. "I am compiling all of my scratch notes and other ideas into one notebook, so I don't have go looking for them."

"What are the notes for?"

"My fourth, and highly anticipated, book. _Icha Icha Tactics!"_

"Oh, I didn't know you were an author-wait" The title of the book finally clicked in Sakura's mind, she remembered that it was the first novel in the series that won Team Seven their bell test when they first became a team. " _you're_ the author of that series?!"

A perverted chuckle came from the Sannin. "Yes. That is me, I'll sign your copy if you'd like."

"No way! I'll never own a copy of that smut!"

Jiraiya was visibly offended. "Smut?! _Icha Icha_ is one of the best-selling series of all time! There are even talks of a film adaptation!"

Sakura responded in dramatic fashion. "That'll be a straight porno though! How will any theater be able to show that?!"

Jiraiya huffed and crossed his arms. "Porno?! You've obviously never read a single page. A mind such as yours would never be able to understand the complex love story that lies between those covers. I doubt Naruto ever said one positive thing about my books."

That's when the uplifting, humorous atmosphere changed. "No, he hasn't. Naruto rarely talked about anything personal, it took him a while to open up to us."

Jiraiya dropped his 'offended' demeanor. "Yeah…I guess I'm to blame for that…sorry."

Sakura had a lot of questions for this man, ranging from how he could leave to why he writes erotic novels. But one question stood above the rest of them. A curiosity that had been sitting in the back of her mind since that day in the forest during the Chūnin Exams.

"What was Naruto like before you left him in the village?"

Jiraiya was silent momentarily before smirking slightly at the memories. "He was a good kid…energetic and always ready to help. The kid had a knack for brightening anybody's day, it never failed. Nothing ever got him down and he was always smiling."

Sakura could only recall Naruto smiling a few times. "I really don't see him smile much."

"That's because you aren't looking at him when he does. I know my leaving him has probably changed him forever and that cheerful little guy I remember may never fully come back…that's something I gotta live with. But I do know this: he smiles at you."

"M-Me?"

Jiraiya nodded with a knowing smirk. "I know my godson, I can read him like a book I wrote. I can tell you are a big reason he keeps going. I know a lot of stuff happened to him in the past six years that changed him even further, but you are always a constant in his mind."

Sakura took this information in and sat with it. She already knew this, in a sense. Just the other day, it was revealed to her that Naruto promised to protect her because she gave him a flower on the day he came to the village. But hearing it from the man who practically raised Naruto was something entirely different. It made her feel special to him, the fact he chose her over himself was heartwarming and very sweet. But that only made her want to keep that promise she made to him even more, Naruto wasn't going to be alone anymore.

"Naruto made a promise that he'd protect me everything he had because I gave him a flower after the villagers attacked on that day. He still has the flower, too, he keeps it on him. And I promised him that he'd never be alone again. That's a promise I'm never going to break."

Jiraiya closed his eyes and smiled warmly. He was glad to hear Naruto had a friend like her to make sure that he'd always have someone to fall back on. He felt more at ease now, Naruto was doing alright. "That's really good to hear." The Sannin let out a yawn. "We should get some sleep, we have another day or two of traveling ahead of us before we reach Tanzaku."

Sakura nodded and crawled under covers, snuggling herself in deep as her mind drifted off into slumber. She couldn't help but feel lucky she had someone like Naruto in her life…


	22. Chapter 22

"GUAH! MY FUCKING ARMS!"

Orochimaru continued to scream in agony from the unbearable pain in his arms, the Snake Sannin was still dealing with the aftermath of his battle with the Third Hokage. Kabuto continued to practically force feed him medicine but that could only do so much, the Reaper Death seal had done far more damage to Orochimaru than Kabuto could've predicted. Not only were Orochimaru's arms in constant pain and close to immobile, no chakra could be regulated through them causing his entire chakra pathway system into disarray.

"Please take the medicine, Lord Orochimaru. I mixed it myself, it should make you feel a little bit better." Kabuto set the tray down on the night stand next to his master's bed, only for Orochimaru to kick it away in a fit of anger.

"I do not need any more crappy medicine, Kabuto!" Orochimaru continued his course breathing. "Did you find Tsunade's location?"

Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "…Not quite, I've narrowed my search to a few small towns near the border of the Land of Fire."

Orochimaru grew more agitated. "Then why have you returned if your search was unsuccessful?!"

Kabuto remained calm and kept a look of uninterest on his face. "I returned because you won't take the medicine I prepare for you and you kill everyone that tries to help."

"You think you're the exception? I won't hesitate to kill you as well, Kabuto."

Despite his calm demeanor, Kabuto couldn't help a bead of nervous sweat drip down the side of his face. "I'm tracking that, Lord Orochimaru…I will find her at once. What will you have me do when I find her?"

"Do not confront Tsunade, she will undoubtably kill you when she learns of your allegiance to me. Tail her until you see an opportunity to get her alone. I will convince her to heal my arms myself."

Kabuto strongly disagreed with that, Orochimaru's condition was bad enough without the stress of traveling. And the possibility of a fight with another Sannin would certainly end in Orochimaru's defeat. But no argument would convince Orochimaru different, Kabuto had to follow through with the orders he was given.

"…Consider it done, Lord Orochimaru."

 **-With Sakura and Jiraiya-**

"106 centimeters."

"Hm. What was that, Lord Jiraiya?" Sakura looked over that the Sannin, wondering what he muttered as they surveyed the mass crowd of people from above.

The duo had reached Tanzaku Town not too long ago and began their search for legendary medical specialist known as Tsunade, that was easier said than done. Despite the close quarters of the buildings and narrow streets, the town was packed with people. It felt like trying to find a needle in a haystack for Sakura, especially since she had no idea what this Tsunade person looked like.

"Ah, don't worry about it. C'mon, I know where she is."

"You do? Where?" Sakura scanned the crowd again in hopes to see what Jiraiya saw.

"See that hole in the wall pub down there on the left?" Jiraiya pointed at the door so Sakura could follow. "Tsunade and another female holding a pig just walked in just before that guy with the glasses."

"Perfect! Let's go!" Sakura moved to leap off the rooftop but Jiraiya put a hand on her shoulder to stop her from going anywhere. "Hey, what gives?"

"Sakura," the seriousness in the Sannin's voice caught the pinkette's attention, "I know you came along to help convince Tsunade to come back, but I don't want you to say a word. And whatever is said during this conversation can't be repeated to anyone, even Naruto, understand?"

This confused Sakura. "Why not?"

"I didn't tell you the second reason we came all the way out here. I'll need to get Tsunade up to speed on everything that's happening in Konoha because higher-ups picked her to be the next Hokage."

Sakura was stunned by this revelation, she, for obvious reasons, had no idea. "The next Hokage?"

"Yeah. Not only are we saving your teammates but giving the village a new leader as well. Let me do the talking, okay? Tsunade is a very…sensitive person. She left Konoha for a reason, I'm going to have to convince her to forget that reason."

"What's the reason?"

"I'm sure you'll know here shortly. Let's get in there."

 **-With Tsunade and Shizune-**

The waiter set the bottle of sake down on the table with the two glasses and then walked away. The busty blonde grabbed the bottle and poured the contents into the two glasses then passed one of them over to Shizune. Just as Tsunade was about to shoot the warming liquid down her throat, her eyes caught the large, white-haired man and a much smaller pink-haired girl standing in the entrance of the pub staring right at her.

Tsunade set the glass down, her hand remaining around it. Hundreds of memories of the man surfacing like bubbles in a boiling pot of water. "Jiraiya…what are you doing in a place like this? Who's the girl?"

The man in question sat in the seat across from his longtime teammate, the young girl followed suit. They both set a bag on the ground at the end of the booth seat. Jiraiya snagged the shot glass away from Shizune and downed it, causing a look of surprise on the three women's faces. "I'm going to get straight to the point, Tsunade. I'm here on official business."

Sakura discreetly examined the woman known as Tsunade. She was nothing like what Jiraiya said. He described her as an older woman, similar to him in age. But this woman didn't look a day over thirty. She was very fit, considering the fact that Jiraiya said she was a hardcore drinker and gambler, and she was positive her bountiful chest wasn't even possible without some type of alteration by a doctor. But what really caught Sakura's attention was the beautiful emerald green crystal that hung around the Sannin's neck. She silently sulked, hoping she'd have a body and necklace as nice as hers one day.

"What kind of business? I can't imagine you'd call another fling 'official business'. Unless you'd use it as 'research' for those damn smut-"

"You haven't heard…have you?"

Tsunade stopped her rant due to the somberness in Jiraiya's voice, she had never heard him use that tone of voice before. "Heard what?"

Jiraiya sighed, he had hoped she had, at least, heard about the attack, but that would've been too easy. Looks like he was going to lay everything out. "Konoha was attacked about a week ago. The Third didn't make it…it was Orochimaru." He thought he'd never say his former friend's name with such distain.

Both Tsunade and Shizune were at a loss for words. There had been rumors that one of the great villages had been invaded and Kage had died, but there were no specifics about where or who. Tsunade's eyes went down and the atmosphere turned depressed.

"So…this official business you're on is to tell me I've been nominated, right?"

"The council wants you to be the Fifth…they really didn't have a lot of options."

Tsunade scoffed as she downed her sake. "If you're trying to convince me then your doing a terrible job. You're here though…why didn't they ask you? If I remember right, Sarutobi sensei wanted you to be the Fourth over Minato. Why'd you decline this time?" She poured another drink.

Both Sakura and Shizune were surprised by this, Jiraiya was considered to be the Hokage before Tsunade?

Jiraiya took the bottle and poured his second. "Me and the old man…we had a falling out…I don't deserve it."

Tsunade eyed her longtime teammate. "What happened?"

Before Jiraiya answered, he turned to look at the young girl next to him. "This is the stuff you don't repeat." He looked back at Tsunade. "About six years ago, I brought Naruto back to the village to put him in the academy, like we agreed when I took him in. The villagers realized who he was and attacked Naruto. The old man gave me a mission to hunt down a masked man that took down a team of ANBU. Turns out, there was no masked man and he fabricated the whole thing to keep Naruto in the village and me away. Before I headed back, I caught wind of what Iwagakure and Kirigakure were doing. I've spent the last six years gathering as much info as I could. War's coming, Tsunade…Konoha needs you."

Tsunade took another shot. Jiraiya noted she was taking the news about the looming threat of war quite well, while the other two at the table were still trying to overcome their overwhelming shock. "Me? Out of all the possible candidates, I was the best suited? The village must really be desperate if I'm their best choice. Still…I never would've thought Sarutobi sensei would do something like that, especially to you. Out of the three of us, you were definitely the favorite."

Jiraiya poured this third shot. "We both know that's a lie. The old man always favored Orochimaru, whether he admitted it or not. I think that's why he wanted to deal with him alone."

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?"

"I was there at the beginning of their fight. Orochimaru had trapped the Third inside a seal barrier so no one could interfere. When I tried to break through it, the old man stopped me. He said it was his fault and that he wanted to make it right. We both know what happened the night Orochimaru defected...the old man wouldn't kill him, and I couldn't stop him…"

Tsunade recalled that night and what Jiraiya had told her what he saw. Rooms filled with bodies of dead 'experiments'. She was the one who had healed his injuries after their battle, the things they did to each other still haunted her to this day. "His betrayal changed Sarutobi sensei."

"I think that's where the change started…but there was no doubt something snapped in the old man's brain after the Kyuubi attack, after Minato died. It felt as if he lost trust in others, including me and you." He downed the third shot.

"But wasn't he the one who called you back to come watch over Naruto?"

"Yeah…that still confuses me. A part of me believes he wanted me to be the one to raise Naruto. But something tells me that the old man felt like he owed the Fourth for what he did to save Konoha from the Nine-Tails. That's the only thing that makes sense to me about this whole situation."

Tsunade mulled over all this new information as she ran her finger across the curvature of the shot glass. Her as Hokage? Honestly, she never rejected the idea growing up. Now? "That title…it changes you, Jiraiya. No one can be that good for that long. Just look at Minato. Everyone thought he was that mythical savior that would stop war. But you know better than anyone how paranoid he was before the Kyuubi attack."

Jiraiya didn't have a counter point. "Minato always liked to be prepared for all contingencies, that's just how he was. But I can't disagree, his paranoia went into overdrive after being elected Hokage. I honestly didn't get to see him much after his inauguration…especially after he told me about Kushina's pregnancy."

Tsunade remembered the day she had heard the rumor that the Fourth Hokage's wife was pregnant, which was later confirmed by Jiraiya when she forced the answer out of him after a knock on the head. She was still living in the village at the time…which wouldn't last for much longer. Despite the warning from the Third to keep the news a secret, Tsunade was very happy that two of her favorite people were having a child. Her happiness skyrocketed into new heights when she was asked to be the child's godmother…

Speaking of her godchild, the busty Sannin looked to her former teammate's left and eyed the young girl suspiciously, wondering who she was and why she was here with him. Sakura was starting to feel uncomfortable by the semi-drunken stare she was getting from legendary kunoichi. She was reminded of a lesson back in the academy about the three Sannin, Iruka said that Tsunade was considered to be the strongest kunoichi in the world. In Sakura's mind that translated to 'don't get on her bad side'.

"Who's the girl, Jiraiya? Isn't she a little young for you?"

Sakura's mouth dropped in shock, which quickly turned into embarrassment and anger. The sheer audacity to even assume she was in some type of relationship with a fifty-year-old man was completely ludicrous! At thirteen-years-old no less!

"Excuse me old-"

"She asked to be here, Tsunade. Sakura made a promise to a friend." Jiraiya intervened before things got more heated than they needed to be. Shizune breathed a sigh of relief, what Sakura was about to say was practically a death wish.

That spiked Tsunade's interest about Naruto's absence even more. Something didn't feel right, she knew that lottery winning was a bad omen for something. "A promise? Kind of promise? Where is Naruto?"

When Jiraiya did not answer immediately and she noticed Sakura's solemn looking eyes, Tsunade had enough. The legendary kunoichi gripped the table with such strength and ease that caused the table to burst into splinters, all of the contents on the table fell to the ground and shattered as well, and reached over to grab Jiraiya by the collar and force him to his feet. Even though she had him by the collar, Tsunade still had to look up to see into his eyes. While Shizune wasn't as shocked to see her master begin to lose her temper, she had seen this scene countless times before, Sakura was scared and impressed that Tsunade could shatter a table with just her grip.

"Quit avoiding the question, Jiraiya! Where is Naruto?!"

Noticing that everyone in the pub was now looking at them, Jiraiya figured he had to bring in his ace to get Tsunade back to the village. He didn't want to use Naruto as Tsunade's reasoning to return, he wanted her to come back to help the village _and_ heal their godchild. It seemed that was no longer a choice.

"Konoha Hospital. The cancer's back."

Jiraiya wasn't sure if he had ever seen Tsunade's beautiful brown eyes so wide and full of shock, whatever anger she felt was instantly washed away the second the words registered in her brain.

"What…? That's…that's impossible…I cured him…"

"A few days ago, two men came to Konoha looking for Naruto. I'm not entirely sure what happened but I'm certain their fight was the cause. Konoha needs you…Naruto needs you, Tsunade.

The lone female Sannin's grip eased and loosely hung on Jiraiya's collar, disbelief overtaking her. She believed-no _knew_ -that all the disease-ridden cells around/in Naruto's heart were gone, with absolutely no chance of returning. A tidal wave of questions began to swirl around Tsunade's mind, trying to come up with any possible and reasonable way that his cancer could return. She already knew she wouldn't be able to figure anything out until examined Naruto herself.

"Why didn't you tell me this when you first got here?"

"Because I wanted you to return to Konoha to be Hokage, I wasn't sure if you'd just leave again. I wanted you to stay in the village to watch over him with me, help me grow him into the shinobi he needs to be…what the world needs him to be."

Tsunade dropped her hands off Jiraiya completely and turned around to grab her things. She put on her green haori and sped towards the door, only to be stopped by a firm grip on her arm. It was Jiraiya, he was awaiting the answer.

"We need to save Naruto first, we'll talk about me being Hokage later."

Jiraiya seemed satisfied with that answer because he let go of Tsunade's arm and followed her out of the pub, with Shizune and Sakura running after them. The bartender screamed at them to pay for the damages as the exited.

A lone man in the corner of the pub sipped on his drink as he watched the group rush out of the building. He pushed up his glasses with his middle finger as he thought over the situation. He quickly moved to follow them at a safe, unnoticeable distance.

'Well, this certainly is interesting. Lord Orochimaru might need to figure something else out. But I need to return with something…he actually might kill this time.'

 **-Memory Fragment-**

 _He always minded his own business, he never tried to cause too much trouble because he knew they'd take any and every opportunity to attack. No beating was like the day he arrived but the memory still haunted him, he didn't want to experience another like it and was not going to give them a chance to do so._

 _A young boy, maybe eight-years-old, with spikey blonde hair kept his head down as he made his journey home. He didn't bother looking up, he practically had the route memorized by the look of the dirt by now, he knew every pair of eyes he passed was fixated on him. He understood why they looked at him the way they did, he just wished they'd stop for one day._

" _Leave that boy alone, he's a nobody."_

" _Don't go near him, ya hear me son?"_

 _It never failed, two years of forced segregation and loneliness with no end in sight. No one talked to him until it became unavoidable, even then nobody ever looked at him in the eye. The academy was just as bad, the kids never tried to get to know him or even offer to hang out. He wondered why he went on a daily basis, he was already leagues ahead of them all. The one silver lining he had was the Third Hokage, knowing the leader of the village was on your side did make him feel better. Occasionally, he'd head to the Hokage Tower and patiently waited for some time with him. Not to discuss training or get a batch of new scrolls to learn from, but to just talk and feel interaction with other human being. That probably what he longed for the most…_

 _Companionship._

" _Naruto Uzumaki…"_

 _The boy in question stopped, it was ungodly rare to hear someone speak his whole name. He kept his guard up as he turned around to see two men in full white masks with different red markings. Each dressed in what looked like standard ANBU attire, he was reminded of the ANBU with silver hair that escorted him to the Hokage after he woke up in the hospital the day after he was left here._

" _You need to come with us, the Hokage wishes to speak with you."_

 _Three major warning flags went off inside Naruto's mind, he knew something was up. The first inclination that something was off was the fact the Hokage wanted to speak to him. If the Third wanted to speak to him, he would've met him at his apartment personally. He had done that a few times before to drop off the money for his monthly expenses and maybe a new scroll. The second flag was if the Third needed to speak him about something important that couldn't wait, he would send that ANBU with the silver hair that defied gravity to come get him. The last flag was the lack of a red spiral tattoo on their exposed right shoulders. Above all the other identifying features of an ANBU, their earned tattoo was the most giving._

 _These guys weren't here for him, they were here for the beast._

 _Naruto momentarily glanced between them both before taking off in a dead sprint in the opposite direction. The two ANBU were prepared for this and were hot on Naruto's dust trail, what they weren't prepared for was how fast he took off._

 _The chase quickly made its way into the main center of Konoha. Naruto dashed through alleyways, jumped through open windows and ran through buildings in hopes of losing them. He was moving as fast as he possibly could, but he knew those ANBU were directly behind him. And even if they weren't, he knew they had his location pinpointed._

 _Naruto slid down a drain pipe, ducked through a series of clotheslines, and jumped behind a stronghold of boxes that gave cover from every direction except for overhead. He controlled his breathing as much as he could, trying to lessen the noise so he wouldn't be found._

' _Those guys aren't ANBU. They don't act like any ANBU I've seen. Just who are these guys?'_

 _Unbeknownst to the hidden Naruto, the two operatives that had been following him were standing on the adjacent rooftop. They had to admit the kid was good. His speed was unheard of for a child his age, easily matching that of a chūnin. His evasive skills were no laughing matter, it was apparent that all running from angry villagers had some good for the boy. It just proved to them that this boy was a freak of nature and his potential was possibly limitless._

" _I can see why Lord Danzō tasked us out to retrieve this boy."_

" _He will make a great addition to the organization."_

 _The two operatives moved to leap off the rooftop and complete their mission but noticed that everything around them changed. They were no longer in downtown Konoha but a barren wasteland with dirt black as night and a blood red sky. They looked at themselves to see that they were no longer their natural color but completely grey._

 _This was obviously a genjutsu, a strong one if they barely noticed the change in scenery. The two tried to dispel the illusion with strong genjutsu removal techniques but none worked, never before had they been in an illusion as strong as this._

" _You can try forever, but you'll never see the light again."_

 _A third voice drew their attention, turning around they saw a man in the same attire as them. His face was covered by a mask that resembled a weasel. Glowing through the mask was the infamous Sharingan, a dead giveaway of who the caster was._

" _Itachi Uchiha…what on earth are you doing?"_

" _Your meddling with a ROOT mission."_

" _No…you're meddling with_ _ **my**_ _mission. I will not allow that boy to become a part of your organization."_

" _Under who's authority? There's no way the Hokage gave you such a mission. He would've left guarding the fox boy up to Kakashi Hatake."_

" _I am operating under an authority much higher than our Hokage."_

 _The two operatives glanced at each other confusingly. What authority inside of Konoha could have a much stronger pull than the Hokage?_

" _Who?"_

" _My mother…Now suffer forever in my Tsukuyomi!"_

 _Naruto waited and waited until he was sure the coast was clear, he peaked his head out from cover to scan for any possible quick exits. He saw a few areas of escape, but they seemed pointless the second he saw the two bodies of the operatives chasing him hit the ground simultaneously._

' _What in the world?'_

 _The blonde looked up to where they fell from to see a third man in ANBU battle gear with a mask of a weasel. That onyx black hair looked very familiar to that showoff, Sasuke, in his class. The two shared a momentary glance before the man disappeared in a swarm of black crows._

' _Who was that guy?'_

 **-With Jiraiya and Tsunade-**

Despite Tsunade's fierce argument to keep going, the group set up camp to rest for the night. The two Sannin of the group could've kept moving all night but Sakura and Shizune didn't have that type of stamina, the two of them practically collapsed by the time they stopped.

Sitting around a small fire, Shizune had already fallen asleep and Sakura was struggling to stay awake while Jiraiya and Tsunade hardly looked tired. Sakura was reminded of Naruto's ability to keep going, she'd have to figure out how to do that at some point.

"You've become even more beautiful."

Tsunade scoffed, failing to hold back a smirk. "You haven't changed a bit…still the same old flatter."

"You never once stopped me."

"It's nice to hear a compliment every now and again…especially one that's not from a drunken lunatic that wants a one-night stand."

"Still breaking jaws of those who get too touchy?"

"You know it."

Jiraiya smirked and let out a chuckle. Tsunade saw something in her teammate's eyes that she rarely ever associated with him. He always tried to hide his true emotions with flattery and humor. "You're worried about him."

Just like that, the lightheartedness of the mood vanished. "Aren't you? The last time I felt this scared was when I first brought him to you. I felt helpless then and even more so now."

"I'm sure everything's fine, Jiraiya. It's probably just-"

"You're the one who said it was impossible that it came back."

Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek. Here she was trying to reassure him while she was silently losing her mind over the ordeal, in past events it was him trying to make her feel better. How the tables have turned. "You mentioned two men came looking for Naruto…who were they?"

Jiraiya almost looked lost as he answered. "They call themselves the Akatsuki. I learned about them during my hiatus. I'm not so sure about their numbers but what I do know is that they are filled S-Rank rogue shinobi from every great village…including ours."

Tsunade didn't have to think hard about who that could be. "Itachi Uchiha."

Jiraiya nodded. "He and Kisame Hoshigaki, formerly of Kirigakure, waltzed right into the village and tore Naruto's team apart. Sakura, here, was the only one who wasn't hospitalized. His sensei, Kakashi Hatake, and teammate, Sasuke Uchiha, both have severe psychological trauma and are in deep comas. Kakashi showed signs of waking up but I doubt he'll be walking around by the time we return."

"Of course, sensei would put Naruto under Kakashi…and seeing how Kakashi was Itachi's handler in ANBU, I guess Itachi's younger brother being under his tutelage isn't a coincidence either. But why were they in the village searching for Naruto?"

Jiraiya glanced over at the other two, making sure they were sound asleep before he answered. "The Nine-Tails." Tsunade's breathing hitched. "Rumor has it they're going after the bijū…to what end I don't know. I can only speculate that it's for some type of world domination or something along those lines."

Tsunade let out the breath she had been holding. "There's always somebody wanting to rule the world…it never fails. It's just like when we fought Hanzō the Salamander back during the Second Shinobi War, he wanted 'peace' through an iron-fist rule."

"Everyone is the hero of their own story." Jiraiya laid back against a tree. "We should probably get some rest, if we move fast enough, we'll reach the village by sun down tomorrow."

Tsunade nodded. "Yeah."

Up above the makeshift camp, Kabuto positioned himself so that he would not be detected. He suppressed his chakra so that his presence couldn't be felt at such a close range. The teenager rubbed his chin as he thoroughly went over their conversation.

'It seems Konoha is aware of the Akatsuki. I wonder if they know about Lord Orochimaru's former membership. But if I remember correctly, Lord Orochimaru said the Kyuubi was not supposed to be their first target…I can only wonder what changed their plans to go after Naruto? Maybe they were trying to get Gaara as well, two birds with one stone. That would explain why Itachi and Kisame were sent, Itachi knows Konoha like no other and Kisame is a perfect counter to the bijū's massive chakra reserves. It doesn't matter, if I follow them any closer to the village then a sensory ninja will pick me up on their radar. Getting Tsunade alone will be next to impossible. I really hope Lord Orochimaru has a backup plan…'

Quickly and silently, Kabuto disappeared into the night.

 **-Konoha Hospital-**

The work day was almost over, another long shift was close to done. They were revolving twelve hour shifts that seemed longer than what time suggested. The young woman behind the front desk kept eyeing the clock as her shift winded down, each minute passed like an hour.

"Excuse me, I'm looking for someone's room."

The lady sighed, so close. She slid over the book that held all patient information. "What's the name?"

"Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha."

The lady flipped through the pages until the two names came up. "That room is under strict surveillance, I need to keep a record of anyone who enters that room. Name please."

"Tsunade Senju."

The lady stopped all movements and slowly lifted her head to look the person in the eye. Standing before her was the legendary medic herself…

 **-With Kabuto-**

"Kabuto…tell me what you learned."

The man in question kept his head down as he knelt before his master. "Lord Orochimaru…I must apologize but I could not gain an opportunity to get Tsunade alone. My search took me to the gambling town, Tanzaku Quarters. But it seems I was not the only one that was searching for the woman. Your former teammate had arrived just after me and requested that Tsunade return to the village to be the Fifth Hokage…a position she'll take without a doubt."

"That's not all. From what I could gather, the Akatsuki infiltrated Konoha recently and tried to capture the Nine-Tails. Their attempt was unsuccessful but it seems Naruto, Kakashi, and our dear Sasuke were gravely injured, all three ending up in the hospital with conditions that only Tsunade could heal. There is virtually no chance of getting Tsunade alone, Lord Orochimaru. I'm sorry I failed…"

What Kabuto expected was a lash out of anger from the Sannin, but what he did not see coming was a fit of laughter. He looked up to see Orochimaru painfully looking at his arms. "It's seems I can no long be picky about my methods."

Kabuto looked on in confusion. "So…What are you planning to do?"

"I'm going to use the Gedo Mark."

"The Gedo Mark? Are you sure? The amount of chakra that jutsu consumes is well beyond what your body can handle!"

"If the result is my arms being healed…then I don't mind a little danger. I'll be able to bend destiny to my will. When Tsunade becomes Hokage, if the people of Konoha were to fall under another crisis…she'd have no choice to comply with my demands, no?"

"But…to perform jutsu with those arms…"

Orochimaru smiled sinisterly. "I have you, Kabuto. Have no fear…I just have to endure the pain until my arms are healed."

Kabuto was at a loss of words, what this man was willing to go through was unbelievable. "Lord Orochimaru…"

"Hehehe…Just you wait, Tsunade. I'll have my arms healed by you…"


	23. Chapter 23

Tsunade didn't think her return would cause such a commotion, it seemed everyone and their mother was standing outside the hospital room in the hallway. She had a feeling a few people would recognize her, but never would she have imagined what was awaiting her outside that door. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she continued her examinations on Naruto and Sasuke.

'A trauma induced coma from a severe psychological attack, his mind is completely unresponsive and the damage to his nervous system somewhat alarming…the Sharingan is really something.' Tsunade placed a single hand on the young Uchiha's forehead and an emerald green glow emitted around her hand. A few moments passed and Tsunade removed her hand. She turned around and was met with the anxious eyes of Ino Yamanaka and Sakura Haruno. "He'll wake up soon."

The two young kunoichi breathed a collective sigh of relief. Sakura couldn't help a small tear dropping from the corner of her eye. She had spent the last week worrying herself to death about her heartthrob, her happiness soared that he was going to be alright. Now, to her other teammate…

"Is Naruto going to be alright, Lady Tsunade?"

That was the million ryo question. The legendary medic approached her godchild's bedside and looked over him. It was as if he was sound asleep and could be woken up by a small nudge. She wished it was that simple. She pulled back the covers and removed his shirt so that she could examine without interference. The two young girls in the room did what they could to hide their blushes, Naruto's physical features were…impressive for someone their age. Tsunade glided her hand over his bare chest and channeled her chakra.

'It's just like before…the disease-ridden cells are battling against the Kyuubi's healing factor. The cancer is killing cells just as fast as new healthy cells are created, he's basically in limbo until one force loses out. Everything's the same but the cells are reproducing much faster than before, whatever caused the cancer to come back supercharged it. All I have to do is isolate the cancerous cells and terminate them, that should do the trick.' She continued her investigation and suddenly felt a familiar spike from inside Naruto. 'Again…?'

Tsunade stopped her initial overlook and took off her green haori. Positioning herself over Naruto carefully, Tsunade placed both her hands over Naruto's heart and readied herself.

"Is it the same as before?" Jiraiya asked, moving to stand on the opposite side.

"From what I can tell, yes, but it's much stronger. The cancer is spreading at an alarming rate, it's going to take me some time to isolate the source."

"How much time?"

Tsunade looked at her teammate with a knowing look, telling Jiraiya pretty much everything he needed to know. The man sighed and turned to the others occupying the room. "Everyone out, let's give Tsunade the space she needs to work."

"Is he going to be okay?" Sakura hastily asked as Ino exited the room.

Tsunade smiled as best she could. "He will be."

Sakura nodded, letting the Sannin know she had faith in her. She followed her comrades out of the room, leaving only Jiraiya and Tsunade left in the room. She knew he wanted to stay but there couldn't be any distractions during this process. "That means you too, Jiraiya."

The man let a sigh of defeat slip, but he understood, Jiraiya nodded and followed the three kunoichi out and closed the door behind him. Tsunade waited a few moments before walking up to the door and locking it shut. She remained still at the door to hear if any of them were eavesdropping, they all had gone to the waiting room down the hall.

"You can come out now, it's safe."

A red glow emitted from Naruto's body and formed into a small creature that resembled a fox sat on Naruto's chest. By the time the morph had finished, scarlet red eyes glowed as bright as the setting sun and met Tsunade's gaze.

" **I'm glad to see your senses aren't dulling, Sannin."**

"The Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit…I won't lie, I hoped to never have to speak to you again."

The Kyuubi snickered. **"The feeling's mutual, though I'll admit I prefer you over that perverted colleague of yours. That man infuriates me for leaving the boy in the village, it did not need to happen."**

Tsunade agreed with a sigh. She had her own thoughts about the lies and events that led to Naruto being left in the village practically by himself, but she would get to those later. "I don't disagree. Moving on, do you know why the cancer came back?"

" **I do."**

"Is it you again?"

The phantom Kyuubi shook his head. **"While I am the reason the disease exists, I am not directly the cause for the reemergence**."

"Not directly the cause? What do you mean?"

" **There were…unforeseen consequences."** Tsunade remained quiet, letting the phantom beast know that she was awaiting the explanation. **"The pervert came back about a month ago and swindled the boy into training with him outside the village, promising that he'd help fulfill the boy's dream of becoming the strongest."**

"Fulfill it how exactly?" Tsunade had a gut feeling that this story was going in a direction she wasn't going to like.

" **He taught Naruto his father's signature technique and led him to a legendary weapon that your grandfather sought out for his battle against that damn Madara Uchiha."**

Tsunade was perplexed by the fact that her grandfather, the First Hokage, would seek out a weapon for that fight, her grandmother told her once that he was stronger than Madara and that nothing would change that. "What kind of weapon?"

" **Tojin…born out of a falling star. Tojin's immense power is matched by none, only a Tailed Beast has the power match it if used correctly, but there's a tradeoff. Tojin plays on the animalistic, unhinged side of a person that thirsts for blood. And when that is paired up with my own feral, the thirst becomes uncontrollable only subsiding when satisfied. The strain to overpower the urge to kill was too much for the boy to handle, resulting in his current status."**

Tsunade was surprised that such a weapon existed. How could something rival a bijū's power? Those beings were the strongest in all the world, how could an object match that kind of strength? And why the hell did Jiraiya want Naruto to have it? Everything just continued to raise more questions than answers. "So, this weapon is the cause for Naruto's condition?"

" **As far as I've been able to tell, yes. I did not foresee Tojin having this effect on the boy. The long dormant cancer was reawakened."**

Tsunade recalled her first encounter with the cancer. It was around eight years ago when Jiraiya first tracked her down after her sudden departure from Konoha. She had never seen him so scared, they had faced certain death together and he laughed through those times. After a lot of convincing and a promise of an undisclosed amount of money, Jiraiya reversed summoned them both to the home of the toad population, Mount Myōboku, where Tsunade found her godchild laid up in bed.

According to Jiraiya, he was teaching Naruto how to perform the standard clone technique. A simple jutsu that was eventually taught to academy students, Jiraiya thought he might as well give Naruto a bit of an edge on his future classmates. Apparently, the jutsu was not easy for the very young Naruto to learn and he became so frustrated that a small fraction of the Kyuubi's chakra leaked out. Jiraiya quickly subdued him before anything could happen, but Naruto collapsed and wouldn't wake up.

Tsunade's initial examination was that Naruto's body was just exhausted from the influx of the Nine-Tail's chakra, Jiraiya urged her to look deeper. When she did, Tsunade was pulled into Naruto's psyche and stood before the cage of the Kyuubi itself.

"Will it be back again?"

" **So long as I remain inside the boy, he will always be at risk for the cancer to return. Naruto holds many curses because of me…something his father did not want."**

Tsunade couldn't help a silent scoff. "I doubt Minato could've planned for the events of that night. He was good but not that good."

"… **You'd be surprised. Regardless, whether or not the boy continues to use Tojin, the cancer will return throughout his life. You gave him fifty to sixty years last time. What about now?"**

Tsunade didn't want to know it but the medical professional in her had subconsciously already figured out the math. "It'll be a miracle if he sees forty…I predict that continued use of that weapon will shorten his lifespan even further. And as far as I'm aware, there isn't a natural cure. However, there once was a tree whose leaves could cure any disease."

The fox was aware of this. **"Tree Felling…that particular tree was cut down more than a hundred years ago. The odds of a single leaf from that tree still being around are nowhere in the realm of possibility."**

"Trust me, I explored very lead I could about that."

" **Hm. Can't hurt hope for a miracle I suppose."**

Hope? What hope was there to have in a time like this? Naruto was fighting a lifelong losing battle against his own heart and Konoha was facing its worse crisis since the Kyuubi was let loose on the village itself, that's not even factoring in the looming threat of war from two longtime enemies whose motives are still unknown. And to top it all off, the wise and powerful leaders of Konoha want Tsunade to become the next Hokage. She did not want to inherit this headache.

The Kyuubi watched the tolerable Sannin with detail, reading her slight movements and noticing her posture. She was having doubts about everything, he could feel it clear as day. The beast would have been surprised if she didn't, if he was honest. **"You need to become Hokage."**

Tsunade wasn't sure if she heard that right. She had to let the words sink into her brain for a moment. "E-Excuse me?"

" **You heard what I said. You need to become Hokage…for him."** The phantom motioned his head towards the unconscious boy under him. **"This boy needs someone here, in this village, that will protect him. That will be here for him."**

"Jiraiya's back. He's Naruto's godfather. Why would he need me?"

" **You're his godmother, the same responsibility. And I trust that perverted buffoon as much as I've seen him in the past six years."**

"What about his jōnin sensei? Kakashi was Minato's student after all. And it seems that he has good friends. I don't think-"

" **You're making excuses and missing the point."** The bijū interrupted. **"I've been with this boy since conception. I've heard every private thought, felt every emotion, and watched him cry his eyes out because the hate that is thrown upon him can be too much to bear for someone so young. He** _ **needs**_ **someone, inside these village walls, that will always have his back. What could stand in your way from wanting to stay here and take care of the boy?"**

Now, this was an odd position for Tsunade. She never would've predicted that a bijū would try and convince her to become the Hokage. But now, that was the furthest thing from her mind. What was occupying her mind was the mini phantom Kyuubi's previous question.

Her mind flashed images of the two most precious people Tsunade will ever have. How she missed them both dearly. Dan and Nawaki. Her former fiancé and younger brother. Nawaki was the first to leave her. He was on a simple escort mission when his team fell under attack that quickly overwhelmed them, causing the team to retreat. Nawaki was the first to fall back and ran right into an explosive trap that had been set up by the enemy before the ambush. The body was so mangled and unrecognizable that Tsunade couldn't stomach the sight. Nawaki died the day after his twelfth birthday, the day after he had told his big sister about his dream to be a great Hokage like his grandfather before him.

Then it was her lover, Dan. Their love started in the wake of Nawaki's death when both pushed for every team that goes out on a mission to have a medical ninja accompany them. Their suggestion was taken into consideration but was not ultimately put into the system like Tsunade and Dan wanted. Instead, there was a team made of strictly medical ninja that was put on permanent standby in case of emergencies. The reason for the council's decision in this manner was because of the amount of time it took to train a shinobi in medical ninjutsu, something Tsunade knew very well. It was because of their advocating for the same legislation for their deceased siblings that Tsunade and Dan began dating to the point of a marriage proposal. However, Dan was fatally wounded during the Second Shinobi War. Tsunade had tried to save him but Dan had lost too much blood for any medical treatment to matter. He, too, had dreams of becoming Hokage.

But why did Tsunade's hesitation to be Hokage matter to the Kyuubi? This being of hate and malice was concerned for the well-being of a young boy. That fact alone raised suspicion. "Nawaki and Dan died with dreams of being Hokage. For a long time, I lost my way and thought I'd never use my medical ninjutsu again…until Naruto fell ill the first time. I kept having flashbacks when I tried to save Dan's life and I couldn't help but notice that Naruto looked so much like Nawaki. I put every ounce of energy I had into healing him. It felt like I was saving them. Over the last few years, I considered coming back to the village…maybe taking the hat from Sarutobi sensei, whenever he finally decided to give it up, and wearing it in Dan and Nawaki's honor."

" **Then why the hesitation?"**

"Because being Hokage…I clearly see that it changes a person. And I don't want to throw dirt on their legacies because of my inability to remain true to what I know I am and who Dan and Nawaki were."

" **Then use the boy as your reference point to stay true to the path you want to be on. I can only do so much for him, I cannot heal a damaged soul."**

Tsunade was shocked that the Kyuubi was not backing down, his continuous efforts to convince her to be here for Naruto was baffling. She had to know why. "Why do you care so much?" There had to be some ulterior motive that benefited him.

The beast was silent for a few moments. **"I am keeping a promise of my own."** The female Sannin wasn't expecting an answer like that and the Kyuubi didn't give her a chance to follow up on her confusion. **"Isolate the cancerous cells and I will increase my efforts as well. Do your part for him and I will do mine. Farewell."** The charka diminished back into Naruto's body and vanished from Tsunade's sight.

Tsunade let out a heavy sigh, this whole situation was becoming very complicated. She moved back over Naruto's body and began to funnel her healing chakra into him.

"A promise huh…I wonder what truly happened that night…"

 **-Outside in the waiting room-**

Jiraiya turned away countless villagers who had come to the hospital because of the rumors that had been circulating during the past week about her return to become Hokage. How these rumors even started baffled the man. He told no one about where he was going and the council meetings with the Fire Daimyō were always confidential, not even the clan leaders knew what happened during those meetings.

It had been roughly an hour before Tsunade emerged from Naruto and Sasuke's room and entered the waiting room that was located at the end of the hall. All three of the occupants stood up immediately and awaited her words.

"Sasuke Uchiha is awake if you'd like to see him and Naruto should be awake in a few minutes."

Ino practically sprinted past the woman and Sakura was quick to follow but stopped in front of the Sannin, she bowed slightly as a show of respect and thanks. "Thank you, Lady Tsunade." She then sprinted down the hallway herself.

Tsunade smirked. "Such a polite girl."

Jiraiya had to agree. "She's got a good head on her shoulders, I see a lot of you in her."

"Enough of the flattery." Tsunade's smirk turned into an innocent smile. "C'mon, we're going to the gardens to have a talk."

Jiraiya raised his eyebrow in confusion. That smile was odd, Tsunade rarely smiled like that. "A talk? Now? You said he was going to wake up in a few minutes."

"Yeah, and it's not like he's going anywhere."

Jiraiya sighed. "Yeah, alright."

 **-In Naruto and Sasuke's hospital room-**

Sasuke was experiencing the absolute worst headache of his life, he felt like he was hit in the head with over a thousand wooden objects then having his brain smacked with a hammer. Needless to say, he did not feel well, but that woman who was just in here did say the pain would subside in about an hour. She said the pain was a major side effects of the technique she used.

"I'm so glad your okay, Sasuke!" Ino squealed in delight as she turned the corner into the room. Sakura blew past her and wrapped the young Uchiha in a hasty embrace, tears streamed down her face.

"Sasuke…thank goodness you're okay."

The onyx-haired boy looked at the pinkette with tired eyes, unsure what to do. Seeing beyond his female teammate, he noticed his male teammate beginning to stir. Sasuke watched curiously as Sakura seemed to be oblivious to it.

Slowly opening his ocean blue eyes, Naruto winced to the sudden bright lights that hung overhead. The blindness subsided and the first thing he saw was his pink-haired teammate wrapping her delight arms around their male counterpart. Keeping his face in a neutral expression, Naruto pushed himself up into a seated position.

"Naruto, you're awake." Ino said, glad to see that he was okay.

Sakura gasped and unwrapped herself from around Sasuke to see her blonde teammate sitting upright in his bed, she quickly moved and brought him into a hug. "Naruto…I was so worried."

Naruto smacked his lips together, trying to get rid of the dryness in his mouth from the lack of liquids in his body. Speaking of liquids, he needed to relieve his bladder of some. Pushing himself even further, Naruto forced himself out of Sakura's embrace.

"Naruto, you need to rest."

"What day is it?"

Sakura was startled by Naruto's question; his tone was somewhat fierce for his physical state. "I-It's Thursday. You and Sasuke have been in the hospital for the past week."

Naruto smacked his mouth again. "Makes sense. Last thing I remember before my heart decided to jump off a building were those two guys trying to kidnap me. Which reminds me…" The blonde turned his to the bed parallel to his own. "…was that guy your older brother, Sasuke?"

"…Yes, that was Itachi." Sasuke clearly did not want to admit that, he was seething with anger. Both Sakura and Ino were shocked by this but seeing Sasuke's anger squashed any questions they wanted to ask.

That meant Itachi was apart of that organization. "Cool." Naruto said sarcastically. He slowly moved off the bed. "Is Baa-chan here?"

"B-Baa-chan?"

"Y'know, the woman who looks twenty but is really fifty? Worldly known as the strongest kunoichi and greatest healer. Ring any bells?"

Sakura's memory finally was jogged. "Oh! You mean Lady Tsunade! Yes, she's here, she was the one who healed you and Sasuke. I think she's down the hall healing Kakashi sensei right now."

"Kakashi?" Sasuke questioned. "What happened to him?"

"Same thing that happened to you. I guess he tried to fight your brother before running into you guys."

Naruto knew the second his heart was the problem that Tsunade would be the one who'd bring him out of the illness. He struggled momentarily to stand up but was able to do so before slowly making his way towards the bathroom.

"What are you doing, Naruto?" Ino questioned.

Naruto stopped and leaned against the door frame to look over his shoulder at the platinum blonde. "I've just spent the last week in bed without something to eat, a drink of water, or the ability to go to the bathroom. I'm gonna take a huge piss then go eat my weight in ramen at Ichiraku." Naruto disappeared behind a closed door.

Sakura turned around and noticed that Sasuke was eager to get out bed as well. Frankly, she didn't blame her teammates in the slightest. She thought about his bodily functions and concluded that he probably needed to relieve himself as well. "D-Do you need-"

"Don't even ask, Sakura."

Sakura knew that was coming. "Right…"

 **-With Jiraiya and Tsunade-**

"Why did you wanna talk all the way out here?" Jiraiya was obviously anxious to see his godchild. Tsunade led him down the corridors to the hospitals beautiful garden courtyard on the first floor.

The medical expert was quick to turn on her heel and landed a strong punch to Jiraiya's jaw that threw him straight to the ground. The toad Sannin was caught off guard by the sudden strike not because Tsunade hit him, she had done that hundreds of times before, but because what he felt behind the strike. Tsunade was furious. That innocent smile made sense now.

"What the hell, Tsun-"

Tsunade fiercely grabbed Jiraiya by his collar and brought him in close. "You are not going to talk, you are going listen!"

Jiraiya racked his brain, trying to figure out what warranted this reaction. He remained silent.

"I had a little chat with the Kyuubi again and he told me a few things. I'm not mad that you taught Naruto an A-Rank jutsu and gave him a weapon that put him in the hospital, I'm mad that you let it get this far! The fact that the damn Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit, the beast that almost destroyed the village, has to tell me I need to be Hokage to keep him safe! That Naruto is a damaged soul! How could you leave him here all alone?!"

"I had no choice!"

"You always have a choice, Jiraiya! You knew that the villagers would react badly to him! He was just a child!"

"You think I didn't know that! I hate myself for leaving him here! But if I had tried to explain to him why he couldn't come with me, it would just make things that much harder for him to accept. He was just a kid, he wouldn't have understood."

"You don't give him enough credit."

"Yeah, I see my mistake now. You and the old man made me realize that."

"Sarutobi sensei?"

"I left Naruto here with him, didn't I? He obviously had some type of plan. And you had another talk with that thing? I'd love to be in on one of those."

"Well, considering the fact that the beast doesn't like you certainly plays a factor."

Jiraiya rolled his eyes. "Figures. I don't like myself much these days either…"

Tsunade sighed objectively. "Jiraiya…"

"Look, I get it. I royally fucked up and I'm paying for it right now. I just thought that maybe if I could help him achieve his dream that he'd forgive me…maybe get back to how things used to be. But I've caused him nothing but pain and suffering since I've come back. Maybe he'd be better off without me. Maybe-"

Tsunade had enough of this self-loathing pity party that Jiraiya was going on with and decided to put an end to it, and there was only one way to do that. Tsunade slammed her lips into his and silenced him. Jiraiya instantly relaxed. A few moments passed before the two separated.

"You won't be the only one looking after him anymore. I'll be around too."

"You mean…"

Tsunade nodded and smiled warmly. "Yeah, I'm gonna become the next Hokage. You when unceremoniously screw up, like we all know you will, I will be here to pick up the pieces. We'll keep him safe together."

Jiraiya was unbelievably relieved that Tsunade was going to take up the mantle of Hokage, if she didn't then he'd have to step up and he really didn't want to do that. "You kissed me."

"It's the quickest way to shut you up. Works every time. You can go inform the council, I'm going to finish up here."

 **-With Naruto-**

Five ramen courses down in record time. Naruto let out a loud blech as he practically licked the bowl clean of the broth. He let out a very pleased sigh, it had been a while since he had been able to sit down and enjoy his favorite dish of miso pork ramen and some shinachiku.

"Want another bowl?" Teuchi asked his most regular customer.

The young blonde shrugged in agreement. "Sure, why not?"

The man chuckled as he already prepped the ingredients. "Rumor has it that you were in the hospital. Everything alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good. Just got sick is all, no need to worry. I've always been quick to get back on my feet."

The elder man nodded. "That you have." He continued on with the order. Naruto watched with half interest as his mind wandered. Before he left the hospital, Sakura urged him greatly to stay and rest until he was cleared by a professional to leave, that professional being Tsunade. He waved the girl off, saying that he'd be fine and just needed out of the hospital for some fresh air as well as get some food in his system.

"I figured I'd find you here."

The spikey haired blonde didn't even have to turn around to know who had entered the ramen shop. "You were looking for me?" He remained neutral.

Jiraiya moved to sit on the stool next to his godson. He shook his head at Teuchi, telling the man that he did not want any food as he sat down. "You thought I'd leave you alone after another scare like that? It's like you don't even know me."

"There are times I wish I didn't."

The Sannin saw that one coming, but his spirits couldn't be brought down right now. He still had a sense of euphoria from that kiss. "I deserve that…Have you seen her yet?"

Naruto's expression faltered, and a frown was shown. "No…I haven't. She wasn't there when I woke up and I wasn't about to sit around and wait for her to show up."

Jiraiya chuckled. "Still hate hospitals, I see. It's good to see that not everything about you has changed."

"Yeah, I guess." Naruto nodded his head towards Teuchi, a sign of thanks, as another bowl of steaming ramen was set in front of him. He slurped down a few grabs before he spoke again. "So, I've heard a few passing rumors while I've been sitting here…is Baa-chan really becoming the next Hokage?"

Jiraiya really needed to figure out how word could spread so fast inside Konoha, it was as if every person had telepathy or something. "Yeah, Tsunade is gonna be the Fifth. I just informed the elders. It should be made official in the next day or two."

Naruto did what he could, but he could not stop the massive smile from forming on his face. He felt an overwhelming happiness burst inside of him that he could barely contain, it had been a long time that he felt something like this. With everything that had happened for the previous weeks and months, from the trials of his heart to his high physical demand of his own body, Naruto was excited to see what the future held for him now that Tsunade, his godmother, would be here with him.

Naruto's godfather was very pleased to see that old, familiar smile on the boy's face. "Do you wanna go see her?"

Without hesitation and full of excitement, Naruto furiously nodded his head and practically sprinted out of the establishment. "Yeah! Let's go!"

 **-With Tsunade-**

"I must say, Kakashi, you are very strong willed. I didn't expect for you to wake up so easily." The blonde Sannin had just finished her examination of the jōnin and, with very little effort on her part, healed him from the same psychological damage that Sasuke suffered from. Then she was surprised further when the silver-haired man woke up almost instantly.

The man in question held a tired, borderline exhausted expression under his dark blue mask. "Considered your reputation, that means a great deal coming from you, Lady Tsunade."

"Well, you've certainly gotten stronger in the time I've been away. You certainly are worthy to be considered one of Konoha's top jōnin."

"While I appreciate the praise, Lady Tsunade, I'm curious is to why you're here. I doubt you returned home just to heal little, old me."

The beautiful woman nodded her head. "Not much gets passed you, Kakashi. Jiraiya and that female student of yours, Sakura, came and brought me back to be the next Hokage."

Kakashi figured that was reason. "Sakura? My first guess would've been Naruto to go with Lord Jiraiya."

"That's the other reason, your two other students were injured by those guys that attacked you."

Shock filled Kakashi's masked features. "Naruto and Sasuke?! Are they alright? What happened?!"

"Calm down, they're alright now. I healed them both before I came in here. Sasuke suffered from the same psychological trauma as you, he should be awake now."

Kakashi breathed a sigh of relief. "And what about Naruto?"

Tsunade turned serious. "Did you know he had a heart condition?" The silver-haired man shook his head. "It's more of cancer, honestly. Back when he was about four-years-old, Jiraiya found me and brought me to the Mount Myōboku to figure out what was wrong."

"Doesn't the Kyuubi give him an insane healing ability? Shouldn't that protect him from cancers and diseases? I don't think I've ever seen him get sick, or even sneeze, since Lord Third assigned me to watch over him."

"The healing ability does protect him a great deal. It also gives him heightened senses, a ridiculously high metabolism, and bunch of other crazy bodily abilities. But this type of cancer is caused by the Kyuubi itself. My guess has always been that his body partly can't handle the beast itself."

"Partly? What do you mean by that?"

"He's not a full-blooded Uzumaki like the two previous jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails. It makes sense because only an Uzumaki can handle a chakra signature of that size being sealed inside of them, as evident by the two other containers."

Kakashi nodded his head in understanding. "Is he cured?"

Tsunade bit the inside of her cheek. "At the moment, yes. But I thought the same time the first time around, too. Apparently, that new weapon of his caused the cancer to come back and continued use will shorten his lifespan."

Kakashi looked at the medical Sannin with a very confused look. "A weapon? What kind of weapon?"

Now it was Tsunade to be shocked and confused. "You didn't know? You're his sensei? I would've expected Jiraiya to tell you about this."

Kakashi shook his head. "No, he never said anything about a weapon. I've barely spoken to the man since his return."

Tsunade sighed. "Then we have a few things to catch you up on, but we'll wait for Jiraiya. He'll be able to fill in some of the holes I can't."

Kakashi nodded in agreement and turned his head to look out the window. There were a few moments of silence that passed in the room before the door opened and Naruto appeared in the door way. He froze the second he saw blonde woman.

"Baa-chan…"

Tsunade's normally stern facial expression turned soft when she saw her godchild. A large well of happiness and relief washed over her to see that he was awake and looked completely healthy. She smiled like a proud mother. "How ya doing, brat?"

Without saying another word, Naruto burst towards Tsunade and wrapped the woman in a massive hug. His head had buried itself in her massive cleavage but neither of them cared about that fact, both were just happy that they were together again. Jiraiya smiled just as proud and Kakashi looked on fondly with a smirk.

Beyond the happy reunion, the two remaining members of Team Seven stopped in front of the open door. Sakura was helping Sasuke walk down towards the cafeteria to get the recently woken up boy something to eat. While Sakura looked on with a cute, happy smile, Sasuke simply looked on.

There was something growing inside of Sasuke that he wasn't sure that he ever felt before. The second he laid his eyes on the scene before him, he had felt like he had been cheated out of something. Cheated out of the family that he used to have. There was always a sense of equal between him and Naruto, the fact someone else alone as him was always something that made Sasuke feel not so. But by the look of the scene before him, Naruto was no longer alone…but he was.

Sasuke Uchiha was jealous of Naruto Uzumaki…and he did not like it one bit.


	24. Chapter 24

"Here are the petitions and legislations that need your approval, Lady Tsunade." Shizune placed the first set of papers in her arms on the desk in front of her. "These are possible different plans the Daimyō's financial advisors came up with, each with their own separate budget." She set another set of papers down. "This is Lord Jiraiya's most recent report about his findings for his spy network." She set a small scroll on the desk. "And here are the council's recommendations for the next chūnin."

Tsunade groaned as she rubbed her temple, she had been the Hokage for barely a few days and the paperwork was already a pain. It was practically constant since her inauguration the other day. She flipped through the pages and skimmed the contents, the petitions and legislations could wait and the reconstruction would work itself out in the next council meeting. And Jiraiya's report was a burning question that did need to be resolved but she knew if it was something truly important then he would've sent a toad to personally deliver the information. So, her focus drifted to the chūnin recommendations, she opened the folder and read the contents.

The first name was Neji Hyūga. The main thing Tsunade took from his recommendation description was that his high intellect and impressive prowess in the Hyūga's own Gentle Fist taijutsu that he used to near perfection in his two matches and to help repel enemy forces warranted him this opportunity. There was a strike against the Hyūga for his lack of restraint in his match against his cousin, Hinata Hyūga, in the preliminaries, but Hiashi Hyūga personally vouched for his nephew that it would never happen again. The next name was Shikamaru Nara. Shikamaru's extreme intellect was also a strong portion in his recommendation, going on about how he practically outsmarted his first opponent, Temari of the Sand, and showed he was able to deduce that he was outmatched in his bout against Sasuke Uchiha and surrender without receiving any major injury. He also proved himself a viable asset during the invasion in conjunction with his teammate, Chōji Akimichi, to fight and defeat some Otogakure shinobi. He had a strike as well, it was well documented that he hadn't performed to standard during his time in the academy. But he also had a high-ranking member on the council to vouch for his talents, his own father.

The third name on the list was Sasuke Uchiha himself. The Uchiha prodigy was praised for defeating Gaara of the Sand, who was predicted to make it to the final round and win the entire tournament, almost in a single attack and then fighting his way into the final match against his own teammate. His description went on how he and his teammates were able to track down Suna's jinchūriki and defeat him before the beast within him could be unleashed on the village. The fourth and final name on the list was, none other than, Naruto Uzumaki. Tsunade smirked in pride when she saw her godchild's name. His description was surprisingly the most detailed. Naruto was praised for his victory over Rock Lee, while challenging Lee in his specialty was not favored, the fact he pushed his opponent to use something as strong as the Inner Gates was a feature in of itself. Again, Naruto was praised for his victory over the Hyūga prodigy, Neji. And the fact the battle turned into a personal one was an attention grabber for the crowd. His description also added that he was a major part in the defeat of the rampaging Gaara.

"There are only four names on this list. I expected more because of our depleted numbers."

"According to the reports on the Chūnin Exam itself, not many possible clients were impressed by the matches. These are only four that won a match in the final stage." Shizune added.

"I read the same reports myself. I also spoke to some of the clan leaders and they said that these four individuals impressively held their own during Sunagakure's invasion, especially Naruto and Sasuke."

Shizune caught something in her master's voice. "You sound surprised by Naruto's recommendation."

"To be completely honest, I am. It's not because he doesn't deserve it, because he does. I was under the impression that most of the village had it out for the kid."

Shizune shrugged her shoulders. "I can't say, m'lady. Maybe he's starting to sway public opinion."

Tsunade adopted a thinking pose. "It's possible but I'm not going to hold my breath on that. Jiraiya did say Sarutobi sensei had some type of plan for Naruto, it's possible this is a part of it."

The black-haired woman nodded her head in understanding. "Do you really think the Third Hokage singled Naruto out for something?"

"The evidence surely does suggest that. But before I condemn my former teacher, I am going to find all the facts I can."

Shizune nodded again. "Of course, m'lady. And speaking of Lord Jiraiya, when was it he'd be back in the village?"

"He said he wouldn't be gone no more than a week, this is just a routine walk-through of his spy network."

"Very well. Is there anything else I can do for you, m'lady?"

"Yes. Send for Kakashi Hatake, Asuma Sarutobi, and Might Gai with their respective teams. I think promotions are in order."

Shizune smiled brightly. "As you wish, Lady Tsunade!"

 **-Hyūga clan compound-**

"Ok! Ok! Alright! Keep pushing, Neji!"

At the main branch house of the Hyūga estate in the common area, Neji had just disengaged from a very heated sparring match his uncle and leader of the clan, Hiashi. The prodigy of the Hyūga stood in his Gentle Fist taijutsu stance as he pushed his body to keep his Byakugan active.

'I must keep going…I will surpass him!'

Walking out of the surrounding building was Hinata as she carried a small tray. "Um…I brought tea."

Hiashi noticed this. "Neji, let's take a break."

Neji breathed out while he moved to a standing position and deactivated his dōjutsu. "Yes, Lord Hiashi."

"Neji please, we talked about this. Call me 'uncle' from now on." The man said as he sat down on the step and took a glass from the tray.

Neji relaxed on the same step and took a cup of his own. "Yes…uncle."

It was still surreal that Neji had this sudden change in relationship with his uncle, it was barely two weeks ago that Neji couldn't stand the sight of the man. But it all changed when Hiashi came to see him in the ICU after his match against Naruto. There Hiashi told Neji the truth about his father's death. Hizashi Hyūga volunteered to take Hiashi's place in the exchange with Kumogakure. Hiashi got on his hands and knees to beg for Neji's forgiveness and to show that he was being truthful. Neji couldn't remember the last time he cried like that.

"Lady Hinata, I'm glad to see that you've made a full recover from your injuries." Neji pointed out.

"As am I, Hinata. I will want to be training you in your off time as well." Hiashi stated.

Hinata nodded timidly, though she could not hide her small smile. "Y-Yes father."

Silence filled the area for a short time as the three enjoyed the gentle breeze that cooled the air around them. The silence was suddenly interrupted when a Hyūga dressed in the standard shinobi uniform entered the estate.

The man bowed before he spoke. "Excuse the interruption, Lord Hiashi, but Might Gai is requesting that his, and I quote, 'youthful' student come with him at once."

Hiashi nodded and looked at his nephew. "Neji, you are free to leave." The man had an odd smirk that Neji couldn't figure out.

The young prodigy nodded and stood up. "We don't have any scheduled meetings today. I wonder what this is about. Hopefully this won't take long, and we can continue our training, uncle." He began to follow the Hyūga shinobi.

"Don't worry about it, Neji. Take all the time you need."

 **-Nara clan compound-**

"Jeez…will you ever take it easy on me?"

"Why would I? The aim of the game is to win."

Asuma grumbled noncoherent words to himself as he looked over the board again, trying to see if there was any possible way he could get out of the losing situation he was in. He looked at every angle, every piece, every open square…he had lost…terribly…again. He took a long drag off his cigarette and blew out the smoke before he spoke next.

"Why don't you play your dad? He'd be a better, more challenging opponent for you."

"You're easier to beat, sensei. Besides, he'd want me to try a bunch of other strategies and all that crap…it would be such a drag." Shikamaru stated with an elongated sigh.

Asuma annoyingly grumbled to himself again. He took pride in the fact that he had a once in a lifetime genius placed under him, but those smart-ass comments, that brutal honesty, and near crippling laziness did get on Asuma's nerves at times. The laziness would hopefully disappear as he matured, but he definitely inherited his honesty from Shikaku and his mother was not one to mince words either.

"Have you seen Chōji and Ino lately?" Asuma asked.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Sure, I guess. Ino's been busy with her parent's flower shop lately and Chōji has been training with his dad the past few days. Last time I saw them was when Ino dragged me and Chōji to the hospital the other day to see Naruto and Sasuke, apparently two unconscious people aren't very good company."

Asuma nodded his head, already knowing this. "And what have you been doing in your time off?"

"Watching clouds, mostly." The boy stated, as if it was the most obvious thing, while he reset the game board.

And there was that laziness again. Asuma swore it was genetics, Shikaku was no better back in the day. "Don't you think you should dedicate some time to train as well? Our relationships with the neighboring lands aren't exactly at their best right now, you never know what will happen on a mission."

"I doubt another great village will go out of its way to meddle with one of our genin missions, and the odds of me being on that particular mission aren't very likely."

"True. But who said it'll be a genin mission?" The tone the bearded Sarutobi used made the question sound more like a statement.

Shikamaru raised his eyebrow in confusion. "What are you talking about?"

Asuma smirked, his cigarette firmly between his lips. "I've heard that there are four recommendations for chūnin this year, and all four were approved by the council."

Shikamaru was starting to piece things together. "Okay…what's that have to do with me?" He really didn't want to hear the next sentence.

Just as Asuma was about to answer, a third shinobi entered the area. Coming up from behind the seated Shikamaru was another jōnin sensei, Kurenai. She was standing in the doorway that led onto the walkway that they were playing on.

"I figured I'd find you two out here."

"Kurenai sensei? What are you doing here?" Shikamaru asked, turning his head to look over his shoulder.

"Has Lady Hokage summoned us?" Asuma questioned.

The black-haired, red-eyed beauty nodded her head. "Yeah. She wants you and your team there."

"What's going on? Are we getting a mission?"

Asuma shook his head as he stood up. "Nope."

"You haven't told him?"

Asuma shook his head again. "Nah. I figured I'd let him figure it out himself."

Shikamaru was not a fan of being in the dark like this, especially when it involved him. He just hoped whatever the Hokage wanted wouldn't turn out to be a huge drag…

 **-With Team Seven-**

"So, did Kakashi sensei say what Baa-chan wanted from us?"

"Naruto! She's your Hokage now! You shouldn't call her something like that!" Sakura huffed as she continued to walk in between her two male teammates. "And to answer your question, no he didn't. I was told to find you guys then head over to the Hokage's office, he said he'd meet us over there."

Naruto rolled his eyes. "It's probably a mission. There have been a lot more missions lately."

"Maybe, but I'm not going to out my money on it. Sasuke was just released from the hospital yesterday, he was told to take it easy for the next few days by Lady Tsunade herself. Right, Sasuke?"

The young Uchiha did not say a word, he just continued to walk without a noise. Sakura wasn't even sure that Sasuke had even heard her, he certainly didn't give any indication that he did. Sakura looked her teammate curiously as worry began to set in. Sasuke had been silent the past few days leading up to his release from the hospital. When she found him and told him about their meeting at the Hokage's office, he made some sort of grunt and just followed Sakura's lead until they found Naruto at the training field.

Naruto noticed something immediately about Sasuke when he and Sakura came to him, there was an odd look of resentment in Sasuke's eyes. Naruto could easily tell what was hidden in his rival's eyes, the last six years of resentment taught him how to figure out who legitimately hated him or who just didn't know any better and followed the pack.

The blonde glanced beyond Sakura towards the brooding Uchiha. "What's gotten into you, teme?"

Naruto hoped by saying his nickname for Sasuke would generate a reaction, but Sasuke remained stoic and silent. The boy just shook his head and returned to facing forward. If Sasuke didn't want to talk about what was on his mind then Naruto wasn't going to push the subject, he had done the same thing to them both on multiple occasions in the past.

The trio continued in silence as they made their way into the Hokage's Mansion and up towards the Hokage's office. Sakura knocked on the door and waited for their appointed leader to allow them entry.

"Enter." A womanly voice said from behind the door.

Sakura was the first to go through the door, then Naruto, then Sasuke. Once in the office, the three genin were surprised to see that the room was filled with people. Shikamaru, Chōji, and Ino were there with their sensei, Asuma, and that team from the year before them; Rock Lee, Neji Hyūga, and Tenten with their jōnin sensei, Maito Gai. Kakashi was standing off in the corner with his eyes glued to his _Icha Icha Paradise_ book. Shizune stood next to her master and current Hokage, Tsunade.

"Well, it's about time you guys showed up. We've been waiting for like ten minutes!" Ino said with a huff. Her frustration quickly went away the second Sasuke stepped into the office. "Hi Sasuke!"

The boy made no motion or notion towards the practically bouncing girl.

"Jeez, Ino…do you have to be so loud?" Shikamaru groaned as he scratched the inside of his ear with his pinkie finger, trying to stop the ringing from Ino's sudden scream.

"Just leave Sasuke alone, piggy, he's not in a good mood." Sakura defended.

"You're just saying that because you want to have Sasuke all to yourself, bill board brow!"

As everyone instantly ignored the two arguing girls, Naruto approached the Hokage's desk with such confidence and a casual manner that all shinobi in the room were floored by his actions. He stood in front of the desk with his hands behind his head. "What's going on Baa-chan? Why is there so many of us here right now?"

"B-Baa-chan?!" Asuma nearly choked on the unlit cigarette in his mouth. Gai just stood there with his mouth agape and Kakashi chuckled silently to himself.

A vein popped out of Tsunade's forehead, she could hear Shizune cover her slight giggle with her hand. "Naruto…I told you not to call me that anymore."

"I know, I just don't care."

Tsunade sighed, but she really couldn't be upset. She didn't mind the nickname, even if it stood for 'grandma'. "Yes, well, to answer your question, as well as all of yours, I called everyone here because I have something to give to four of you. Could Neji Hyūga, Shikamaru Nara, and Sasuke Uchiha come stand next to Naruto here?"

Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion as the three moved from the small crowd to stand next their blonde counterpart, falling at the position of attention. The blonde became even more confused by his comrade's actions.

"What gives? Why so formal, you guys?"

"Naruto…" Kakashi glanced up from his book. "you are before the Hokage, show some respect."

Naruto sighed, but followed his orders. He moved from his relaxed stance into the position of attention, placing his hands on the seams of his pants and heels touching, bowing his feet into a 'v' position.

Tsunade smirked and stood from her chair, playing her hand in her hip. "I have called the four of you here, along with your respective teams and leaders, to give you your hard-earned promotions to chūnin. The four of you won, at least, one match during the final stage of the exam and handled yourselves amazingly during the unfortunate invasion. I may have not personally been here in Konoha to see what you're capable of, but I trust my advisors and the many reports."

Tsunade moved from behind her desk and stood in front of the four shinobi. Shizune grabbed four individual green vests from behind her master's desk and began to hand them out to the young men as her master spoke. "On behalf of Konohagakure and her people, I, Tsunade Senju: Fifth Hokage, hereby promote Neji Hyūga…Shikamaru Nara…Sasuke Uchiha…and Naruto Uzumaki to the rank of chūnin! Congratulations!"

A series of applause filled the room from the others in the room while the four newly promoted chūnin stared at their new green flak vests in their hands. Neji was the first to put the vest on, opting to zip it up fully over his tan colored shirt. Then Sasuke slipped on the vest over his blue, high collared shirt and only zipped it up to about halfway. Shikamaru sighed annoyingly as he put his vest on over his short sleeved grey jacket, pulling the zipper up to the top. Naruto rested his vest over his already unzipped orange jacket, opting to keep the vest unzipped as well.

"Attention to orders!" Tsunade called out, causing all the shinobi in the room immediately snapped to the position of attention. "The following vows are one must agree and keep to those who truly want to be chūnin."

The room was silent, and the four young men remained unmoving, as one was not allowed to move at the position of attention.

"Do you vow to risk your life and protect the mighty Konohagakure no Sato and the people of the village from any and all danger that may come her way?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage." The four replied in unison.

"Do you vow to uphold the Will of Fire, a belief held since the days of, my grandfather, the Shodaime Hashirama Senju?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Do you vow to represent Konoha with honor and courage in any and all circumstances?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Do you vow to remain loyal to Konoha, never revealing any secrets to any who may seek her or her people harm?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"And finally, do you vow to respect and cherish our home of Konohagakure no Sato?"

"Yes, Lady Hokage."

"Then I, Tsunade Senju, the Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure no Sato promote you Shikamaru Nara, Sasuke Uchiha, Neji Hyūga, and Naruto Uzumaki to the rank of chūnin. May the Will of Fire flow through your spirit and be your guiding key."

The four bowed in honor of their promotion and Hokage. "Thank you, Lady Hokage."

Another round of applause filled the room as the four newly annotated chūnin turned around to greet their comrades and leaders. Neji was flooded with two hyperactive green-clad shinobis of Rock Lee and Maito Gai, yelling and shouting things about the 'power of youth'. Tenten didn't even try to stop them from making a scene. Shikamaru stood there bored as ever as both Ino and Chōji congratulated him, Asuma just smirked at his student's laziness.

"Do you think they're ready?"

Kakashi glanced up from his book. "They'll have to be. There are a lot of things in motion."

Asuma nodded. "You're right. This group you called the Akatsuki is something we all need to be ready for."

"I wasn't talking about just the Akatsuki."

"Hm? Then what are you talking about?" Asuma questioned, moving in a little closer so they wouldn't have to talk so loudly. Granted, the room was filled with chatter of the genin congratulating their four peers, but it's better to safe than sorry.

"What's your assessment on the village as of late?"

"My assessment? Well, I'd say everything is going well all things considered. Minus the Akatsuki incident, everything seems nice and peaceful. The villagers look to be in a good mood with Lady Tsunade taking over as Hokage."

"I see…"

"Do you see it differently?"

Asuma could tell that Kakashi was slightly grinding his teeth under his mask. "All this peace feels ominous to me…Orochimaru is out there waiting for us to let our guard down again."

Now it was Asuma's turn to clench his teeth together. The mere mention of Orochimaru caused Asuma's blood to boil. The death of his former Hokage, and father, was still fresh in his mind. "Do you sense him?"

Kakashi's stare was hard and stoic. "You could say that."

"Hm…if you have a bad feeling thing, I guess I'll keep my guard up."

"Right…I'm counting on you. I'll get Gai up to speed as well."

A few minutes passed of more congratulations before the teams began to leave the Hokage's office. First it was Team Ten, though it seemed Shikamaru lingered behind them slightly. Then Team Gai followed shortly thereafter. Just as Team Seven was about to leave, Tsunade spoke again.

"Naruto, stay back for a minute."

'Aw shit. She's probably going to chew me out for calling her Baa-chan in front of everyone.' Naruto inwardly groaned to himself as he watched his teammates and sensei close the door behind them. He turned and faced his godmother. "Is this about what I said?"

Tsunade smiled. "No, it's not. I just wanted to congratulate you personally."

"Oh…"

"Is that a problem?"

"No, I just thought I was in trouble." The blonde chuckled. "Guess I was surprised is all."

The woman's smile softened and moved down to eye level with her godchild. She reached around the back of his head and untied his headband, confusing the blonde boy. Naruto became even more confused when he saw the other object in her hand.

"…That's your necklace."

"No…it's not…"

What Tsunade did completely floored her godson. Tsunade used both her hands and placed the emerald green crystal over Naruto's head and left it to rest around his neck.

"…It's yours."

"Baa-chan…" Naruto could barely fathom this. The necklace that was now around his neck was a very precious heirloom that had been passed down from the First Hokage. Not only was it an heirloom but it was also worth a fortune, three mountains worth of gold. "Why are you giving this to me?"

"It's my gift to you for making chūnin. I know how hard you work and I'm so very proud of your accomplishments in your short time as a shinobi. You're really something amazing and I can't wait to see how far you'll go. I couldn't think of anyone else who deserves this."

It was at that moment that Naruto couldn't stop a very rare blush on his whiskered cheeks. "You're just saying that Baa-chan…"

Tsunade smiled at her godson's modesty, he was surprisingly very humble. "You know I meant every word."

Naruto nodded, she was being very truthful and he knew she wasn't just saying things to make him feel better. It was an odd feeling to have someone take pride in his actions, it almost felt like Tsunade was his actual…

"Do you think my parents would be proud?"

Tsunade's eyes, as well as Shizune's, went wide from Naruto's question, she was not aware that Naruto knew about his heritage. There was no doubt that Jiraiya had told him, but there was also the possibility that he figured it out himself. Minato was obviously a very well-known shinobi and Kushina had a bit of a legend of herself.

Recovering from her initial shock, Tsunade put another soft smile on her face and leaned in to place a kiss on her godson's unprotected forehead. She pulled back to see that Naruto's face was completely red, she inwardly chuckled as she had never seen him so flustered. "Of course they are…but so are we."

Hearing that put a few of Naruto's secret worries about his parenthood to rest, but that still hadn't dosed the burning questions about why his father chose him to be the Kyuubi's jinchūriki. Or why the information had been kept from him for so long. Or even why the Third Hokage sent Jiraiya away thus leaving him alone in the village. There were so many questions that he didn't know the answers too and that irritated him greatly.

"Thank you Baa-chan…I promise I won't let that faith you have in me go to waste. I will surpass everyone and become the strongest!"

"And I can't wait to see it happen. Now scram kiddo, I've got some paperwork to catch up on."

Naruto gave his best salute. "Yes ma'am!" He turned and bolted out of the office, leaving the two women chuckling at his antics. The young blonde ran through the halls of the Hokage's mansion at break-neck speed and jumped through the open door that led to the outside.

"Hey Naruto! Hold up!"

Naruto slid to a stop when he heard the voice call out to him. He turned around to see Shikamaru walking out from his position under a shady tree and towards him, sporting that new chūnin flak vest that he had received not too long ago. "Shikamaru? You need something?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "No, not really. I just thought I'd invite you to play a game of shogi with me?"

"Shogi? Isn't that like chess?"

"More or less, it's pretty much a variant."

"Okay…but why the sudden interest to hangout? You've never wanted to before."

"Well, maybe if you had shown up to the academy then we might've then." The Nara boy a point that Naruto couldn't refute. "Besides, we're chūnin now and more than likely going to be sent on missions together soon. It would be smart to get to know each other and have some chemistry between us so that we aren't making stuff up on the fly during the real deal."

Naruto nodded his head in understanding, the logic was sound and it made perfect sense to him. "What about Neji and Sasuke? They were promoted with us."

"I was going to get them but Sasuke looked way too pissed about something, that didn't seem a very good use of my time because he normally isn't to keen on listening to someone when he's mad, and Neji left with his team too fast for me to ask him. So, I waited for you."

Naruto nodded once again. Shikamaru had a point, Sasuke really did seem upset about something. He had noticed it earlier, but he wasn't going to push the subject. Maybe addressing this issue wasn't avoidable after all. For some reason, Naruto had a feeling that conversation wasn't going to be pleasant.

"Alright then…I guess I'm down to play a game or two."

"Cool. Then let's head to my place." Shikamaru begin walking and Naruto moved to walk next to him.

"So, is shogi like your hobby or something?"

"In a way but playing will give me an idea how you are in battle."

Naruto raised his eyebrow in confusion. "And how will playing a board game tell you that?"

"I'll tell you after we play a game."

 **-BBQ Palace-**

The BBQ Palace was notorious for Team Ten's after mission celebration spot, but what made the restaurant famous was the Akimichi clan's seal of approval. The Akimichi clan was the unofficial food critics for the village of Konoha, largely due to their overwhelming appetite and love for good food. But what set this restaurant apart from others was the self-service. The customers ordered the food they wanted but cooked the food to their liking with the small grill that was attached to the table. And since a member of said team had been promoted to chūnin, a celebration was in order. Team Seven decided to join their comrades and wait on their two missing members.

"Man, I thought your team was bad about being on time forehead." Ino groaned as she rested her head on her hands. "What on earth could be taking Shikamaru and Naruto so long?! I'm freaking starving!"

"Don't even get me started, Ino." Chōji groaned in like fashion, if she was starving then there was no telling how he felt.

"The Hokage did want to have a word with Naruto, who knows what that could've been about." Asuma stated, sitting at the end of the table with Kakashi across from him. "Do you have any idea what that could be about, Kakashi?"

Kakashi turned the page of his book. "Not a clue."

"Do you even care?" Asuma asked rhetorically.

"I may be his genin teacher and still have things left to teach him, Naruto and Sasuke technically aren't my responsibility anymore and are now our peers in the force."

"But we outrank them."

"Yes, but we shouldn't underestimate them. Besides, I was made jōnin at thirteen, there's no telling what their potential could be."

"Wow, you were promoted to jōnin at thirteen, sensei?" Sakura asked in amazement. Even the ever silent Sasuke had his interest peaked by this. "Were you fast-tracked?" Fast-tracking is a term that means someone who is, and or was, pushed through the ranks faster than others because of their talents and knowledge.

"You could say that, but that doesn't mean I didn't earn my way through the ranks. I knew what I was doing, and I was awarded for my hard work."

Asuma stared at Kakashi with a deadpanned expression. 'Yeah, and being a freaking prodigy had nothing to do with it…'

"So, Kakashi sensei, what are some of the responsibilities of a chūnin?" Sakura questioned. "You said Naruto and Sasuke aren't your responsibility anymore. Does that mean we won't be Team Seven anymore?" The mere thought of not being on the same team with Naruto and Sasuke worried Sakura to no end.

"Don't worry Sakura, Team Seven will still be together but they will have the ability to choose if they want to come on the mission. Genin are normally stuck with the D-Rank missions with the occasional C-Rank mission while chūnin are offered the C-Rank missions with the occasional B-Rank mission, and if enough promise is shown then they could be chosen for an A-Rank mission with a jōnin leading."

"Phew. That's a relief." Sakura breathed. "Isn't that great Sasuke? The three of us are still a team!"

The young Uchiha said nothing from his position at the end of the table, he continued his silence throughout their prolonged wait. So many thoughts had run through Sasuke's mind during his silence but were centered around single entity.

Naruto.

Only one time before had Sasuke focused on a single thing, and that was about his plan to kill Itachi. When he saw the new Hokage embrace Naruto like a mother who had just found her lost child, something in Sasuke's mind snapped. At the time, he really wasn't sure why but seeing that caused Sasuke feel an unearthly amount of jealously towards Naruto. Suddenly, everything had changed.

Since the formation of Team Seven, and even back in the academy, Sasuke always felt some odd relief because there was someone else that was experiencing the same type of loneliness he was. Despite their differences, him and Naruto had an understanding. A sense of equality between them. That felt like it was gone now. They had both made it to chūnin and continued to remain peers but that understanding felt gone…

"Screw it! I'm not waiting any longer!" Chōji couldn't take it anymore, his stomach was practically singing now. If he waited any longer to eat something then he was going to lose it. He took the plate of uncooked meat and dropped every slice onto the already warm grill. The meat slices were the perfect size to be cooked in rapid succession and all were quick fill their plates.

Sakura made herself a plate then decided to make Sasuke a plate as well. She wasn't sure how much to give him, so she just opted to start small then see if he wanted more. "Here Sasuke."

The second the plate passed through Sasuke's vision he swiftly hit the plate away with a loud crash, earning shocked expressions from most of the other customers. Sakura was obviously the most surprised, she had never seen Sasuke act so aggressively.

"Hey, what gives?!" Chōji shouted. "That was a perfectly good plate of meat!"

Sasuke paid no attention to the fat boy's anger and stood up to leave the restaurant. He stopped momentarily to look back over his shoulder at his pink-haired teammate.

"Tell Naruto that I'll be at Lone Pine Hill, waiting for him."

With those parting words, Sasuke left the building.

 **-With Naruto-**

Time had passed faster than Naruto had thought, he didn't think playing a single game of shogi would last a few hours. Shikamaru was a tough opponent, he plans so far ahead that trying to think of a strategy was extremely difficult. Naruto did what he could but ended up losing to Shikamaru. Granted, that was Naruto's first time playing the game and Shikamaru had been playing for years. But the aim wasn't to win, it was to learn how each other operated during a fight. Hopefully Shikamaru got what he needed out of the long game.

Naruto had just entered the training field to finally get his second training session for the day but was surprised to see his pink-haired teammate standing in the middle of the field, watching the sun set on the horizon.

Naruto approached his teammate. "Sakura?" It wasn't until the girl turned around, he could see the worry and fear in her eyes. "Is everything okay?"

"Naruto…I don't know what I should do anymore…Sasuke's waiting for you. I bet he's still waiting, even now."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "Sasuke's waiting for me? What do you mean?"

"I…we were all waiting for you and Shikamaru at the BBQ Palace to celebrate. But he never said anything…he barely looked at any of us. He suddenly freaked out and threw his plate of food I handed him. Before he left, he gave me a message for you."

"A message?" It was clear Sakura was upset and holding back tears.

"He's waiting for you at Lone Pine Hill. I think Sasuke issued you a challenge."

"A challenge?!"

Sakura couldn't take it anymore, the tears she was holding back broke through and begin to run down her cheeks. "Why…why is this happening?! Aren't we supposed to be comrades?" She tried to up her tears away with her hands, but it was pointless, she couldn't help but sob.

Naruto wasn't sure what to do here, this was a new situation. He wanted to comfort the crying girl but he had no freaking idea how. Was he supposed to pet her or something? There was only one thing he could think of, something he has always wanted. When he was growing up the thing he wanted most when he was troubled and crying was a simple hug and being told that everything would be okay.

And that's exactly what he did. Naruto approached Sakura and slowly brought her into his arms, trying to calm her worries. The girl didn't even hesitate in burying herself into him. "Sakura…don't worry, everything's gonna be okay."

The pinkette just continued to sob into his vest.

Naruto let out a long breath through his nose. "Okay…I'll go find Sasuke."

Sakura's head shot up and became eye level with Naruto, still in his embrace. "But…!"

"It'll be okay. We're comrades, right? I'll make things right Sasuke, don't worry."

Sakura saw it in Naruto's eyes that there was no changing his mind. "Okay…please be careful. I still can't get the image of Sasuke's hand around your neck out of my head, just the thought of you two fighting again…" She was about to start sobbing again.

"Hey…" Naruto brought up his thumb and wiped away the forming tear on the girl's face. "You don't need to cry for us, I'm pretty sure me and Sasuke will always be like this. But no matter what happens, we will always be together. I promise you that, Sakura."

And there it was. Naruto's unbelievable smile. Sakura had no idea how a person could have a smile like that, but Naruto did. The words of Jiraiya clicked in her head. _He smiles at you._ A registered skipped heartbeat caused Sakura's face to blush. "Naruto…thank you."

Naruto's smile remained. "You don't have to thank me, you already saved me once." He released Sakura from his embrace and turned away to leave. "Actually, I'm the one who should be thanking you."

"M-Me? What for?"

"Ero-Sennin told me you went with him to go find Baa-chan. He said you wouldn't take no for answer, said that you wanted to go for me. You have no idea how much that means to me, Sakura. I'll never forget that."

Naruto took off into woods and headed for Lone Pine Hill.

 **-Lone Pine Hill-**

The hill that was true to its name, a single tree sat alone atop of hill. Sasuke stood on an outstretched branch that gave him a perfect view of the valley that led up to the flattop. Night had taken over the sky some time ago as he waited for his opponent to show. It didn't matter to him how long he had to wait, as long as he could finally put this to rest.

Leaves trailed a dashing blur across the moonlight that caught Sasuke's eyes.

"So, you've come, huh…?"

Naruto came flying through tree tops, flipping through branches and landing on the ground in a full sprint. He quickly approached the hill and vaulted himself up a series of boulders up to the flat. He flipped over the edge and landed gracefully the on grass. He looked up to the lone tree to see Sasuke glaring at him with his Sharingan active.

"What's the big idea calling me out to place like this?"

"…I want you to fight me, Naruto."

The blonde's left hand clenched into a fist. "Why all the way out here? We can do that anywhere, right?"

Sasuke unbuttoned the flap on his kunai holster, embedding his finger into the ring. "I mean a real fight. Live or die. Play for keeps."

"…Why on earth would you want to do something like that?"

"…I want to prove my own strength. And nothing else!"

Twirling the kunai from his leg holster with his finger, Sasuke fell from the branch and charged Naruto the second he touched ground. Naruto brought his own kunai up to block, sparks flying in the moonlight…


	25. Chapter 25

Sparks flew wildly with clashing metal, two forces coming against one another in a battle for dominance. Naruto and Sasuke dueled with their kunai knives, dancing in battle across the flat top of Lone Pine Hill. The two young chūnin came in with strong blows, the resulting clash shot their respective kunai out of their hands.

Naruto threw his fist. Sasuke caught the strike while simultaneously coming in with his own fist. Naruto caught Sasuke's fist. They caught each other. Sasuke swung his leg and Naruto disengaged to avoid it.

Naruto slid to a stop. 'So, this is what it's like to fight the Sharingan. His movements are so much more precise, he's wasting less energy and can last longer in hand-to-hand combat.' A small shiver ran through Naruto's body. 'This shivering…why am I excited?'

"Hah!"

Sasuke glared at his opponent, his cheek twitching from anger. "What's so funny?!"

"…To think, you've convinced yourself that you have the strength to beat me in a real fight."

The Uchiha boy began to snarl. His mind flashed memories of back in the academy and their first few months as Team Seven. "What did you say? Quit blabbering nonsense, you cocky son of a bitch!"

"I'm not cocky, I know the outcome of this fight already…I will beat you, Sasuke!"

"That overconfidence is infuriating! I am going to beat it out of you!"

"You're welcome to try!" Naruto created a cross hand seal with his fingers. _"Taj_ _ū_ _Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_

Smoke filled the area as clones upon clones of Naruto crowded the hill, they even appeared on the lone pine tree. Sasuke scanned the clones as he waited for them to make the first move. 'Shadow clones…despite his arsenal, Naruto sticks to the same tricks.'

Clones charged from Sasuke's behind, he easily dealt with them with strong kicks as more clones came in. The Uchiha spun on his heel to punch another. He dropped to his hands and pushed up to hand-stand kick the clones in the air. It was there Sasuke realized his mistake, three clones came in low and kicked Sasuke high into the air.

"NA-RU-TO!" The clones shouted in one after another.

A fourth Naruto came flying in to hit the final blow. "Uzumaki Barrage!"

Sasuke was able to block the kick with his forearms, while creating a series of hand seals. Naruto saw Sasuke's cheeks puff out and realized what was happening. _"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

Fire consumed the area and burned the clones into oblivion, screaming in agony until they disappeared. Sasuke landed on the pine tree and watched as the fire dispatched the last of the clones. Suddenly, a large burst of wind erupted from the center of the widespread fire, causing the flames to disappear. The wind revealed the real Naruto standing there with his hands outstretched, obviously using his _Kazakiri no Jutsu_.

Naruto moved into a normal stance. "Had enough yet?"

"We've barely only begun, Naruto. Having second thoughts?"

"Not on your life, I'm trying to save you the embarrassment of losing a fight you wanted."

"The only one who'll be embarrassed is you! I'm done feeling inferior to you! It's time I finally surpass you, Naruto!"

Inferior? Is that why he wanted to fight? But that didn't seem right. Ever since they fought in the Chūnin Exams, Naruto no longer felt like he was stronger than Sasuke but that they were on the same level, especially that they were both promoted. That they were true rivals now.

"Why are you doing this?"

Sasuke smirked. "Did you know, Naruto…if two shinobi are near the same level of strength, they can read each other's mind through a simple exchange of fists? There's no need for me to answer that question. Just keep fighting me and you'll figure it out!"

Sasuke jumped at Naruto and burst into a sprint, cocking his fist back for a strong strike. Naruto ran at Sasuke, challenging Sasuke's resolve. They closed in and connected their fists with each other's faces. The resounding smack was so loud and harsh that it caused a few of the sleeping birds to awaken and fly away. The two boys remained still momentarily before they collapsed on the ground, laying horizontal to each other.

"Y'know…" Naruto began. "I always thought you and I were kinda the same, Sasuke. For a while, we were both lonely and envied everyone else who had what we didn't. It made things a little bit easier…"

"But you aren't alone anymore…the Hokage and the Sannin act more like your parents than anything else…"

"You know what having real parents is like…I don't."

Sasuke just stared aimlessly into the night sky.

"That's what this is about, isn't it? You're jealous that people are coming into my life and becoming like family while you stay alone?"

"…"

Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "Wow…I didn't think you could get jealous."

"…Shut up, dobe."

"Did you really think I'd let you stay alone, Sasuke? That pain of being alone, we both know it's too much to handle for so long. I wouldn't let you go back to that, I won't let anyone go through what we did…Just because there are two people who care for me like a child doesn't mean I'd forget about you or Sakura, in fact it makes me cherish you guys even more. You guys mean everything to me because you were the first to see me as something I'm not…"

Sasuke knew what his rival was talking about. "You're no monster, Naruto. I know a monster, you're nowhere near close to him."

"…I'm sorry about what Itachi did. We'll get him one day, I know it."

"Yes… _we_ will."

The two young chūnin laid there on the grassy hilltop, allowing the gravity of their conversation to sink into their minds. Everything felt as it should, the balance between them was right once more.

"This fight isn't over, Naruto. We still don't know who's stronger."

Naruto smirked. "And how do you suppose we figure that out?"

Sasuke sat up off the ground. "That jutsu of yours…how strong is it?"

Naruto sat up himself. "Stronger than yours."

Sasuke stood to his full height. "I doubt that."

Naruto moved to eye level. "We'll see about that."

Executing the three hand seals, Sasuke held out his left hand and lightning began to arch from his palm. Naruto crossed his fingers and a shadow clone appeared, smacking the air around Naruto's palm until a spiraling blue sphere appeared. Once the orb was formed, the shadow clone disappeared.

"That will be quite enough!"

A third familiar voice rang over the chirping lightning as both jutsus deactivated. The two young chūnin looked up to see their sensei, Kakashi, perched atop the lone pine tree. It was an odd sight because his face was not cemented into his book.

"Kakashi sensei!"

"Kakashi…" Sasuke instantly knew this wasn't going to be good.

Kakashi crossed his arms disapprovingly. "Are you both so obsessed with being superior that you'd go so far as to try and kill each other in a fight? I mean seriously, what happened to the teamwork?"

Sasuke tried to play it off. "It was just a sparring match…nothing happened."

"That was no sparring match. I'm glad that you two were able to sort out your differences but I'm still bothered by the fact you two were actively trying to kill each other."

"We were both holding back sensei." Naruto stepped in. "We weren't fighting seriously."

"Weren't you? That Chidori was at max strength, it would've easily cut right through him Sasuke. And as for you Naruto, that Rasengan is the highest form of shape transformation. That jutsu is so tightly condensed that you'd tear through and break through Sasuke's Chidori no matter how strong it is. Now try and convince me you two weren't fighting seriously."

Neither of the two chūnin said nothing, knowing any argument they could have would not end in their favor. Kakashi let out a dejected sigh. "Look, I can't be mad at either of you two, me and my teammate did this type of thing a lot back in the day. But I'm trying to teach you guys to be better than how we used to be. I think it's time you three learned the reasoning behind my most important lesson. We'll meet at the cemetery tomorrow. Now, go home."

Naruto and Sasuke continued their silence as they slowly made their way off the hill top and began their trek back to Konoha. Kakashi waited until he was sure his two students were will out of range before he let out a whistle. Dashing onto the tree were two of Kakashi's peers, Asuma and Gai.

"Did you find any trace of them?"

Asuma nodded. "Yeah, they're here."

Kakashi nodded. "Good." The masked jōnin looked out in no particular direction. "Quit hiding, Orochimaru! We know you're out there!"

It didn't take long before two individuals to appear on the grassy hill top. One had onyx eyes, which were covered by a pair of clear, black rimmed circular glasses, and ash-grey hair that was tied in a ponytail. He wore a dark purple shirt with a high collar, a white undershirt, and dark purple pant with a white cloth waistband. His forehead protector had a sound note craved into the metal plating. The other individual highly resembled a snake with pale skin, golden eyes with silted pupils, purple markings around his eyes and fang-like teeth. He wore a plain grey robe with a black polo and pants underneath, a thick purple rope belt tied in a large knot behind his back that just touched the bottom of his long, black hair. His arms and hands were completely covered in bandages.

"…Kakashi…and here I thought I was being so sneaky…I commend you for finding us."

The three jōnin jumped down from the tree. "You've been awfully quiet lately. Too quiet for my liking." Kakashi responded, lifting his headband to reveal his Sharingan. "We figured it'd be good to tighten our security."

"Reinforcements will be here any moment…and then the jig is up for you." Gai informed, jumping into a taijutsu stance.

"There is no escape for you this time, Orochimaru!" Asuma drew his chakra blades.

"Heh-heh-heh…provided you are able to stall us long enough, right? Well, it won't take me long to destroy the lot of you."

With blinding speed, Orochimaru jumped high into the air and came crashing down with a strong kick that broke the land apart. As he jumped away, Asuma weaved a series of hand seals. _"Katon: Haisekish_ _ō!"_ (Fire Style: Burning Ash)

A chakra-infused gunpowder spewed from the jōnin's mouth and surrounded Orochimaru, he sparked the powder by striking his chakra blades against each other. The resulting explosion was sure the take down any opponent…but this was no ordinary opponent.

Tunneling out of the ground came Orochimaru, his arms swinging as if they were lifeless. He looked to his left and saw a second attack coming in.

"Dynamic Entry!" Gai was flying towards Orochimaru with great speed with his leg ready to make contact with his face. Kabuto realized this went through a series of hand seals.

" _Doton: Doch_ _ū_ _Eigyo no Jutsu!"_ (Earth Style: Underground Reflecting Fist)

Just before Gai could land his fast-incoming jump kick, Orochimaru disappeared into the ground. It was as if he was like a fish diving into the water. A few seconds passed and the Snake Sannin arose from the ground next to his subordinate. Kakashi noticed this and deduced what was happening.

"Doing all the work, eh Kabuto? I guess that explains all the bandages on your arms, Orochimaru."

"What are you talking about Kakashi?" Gai questioned.

"He's still feeling the affects of his battle with Lord Third. It seems Orochimaru can't weave a single hand seal, or even have any use of his arms. Stop me if I'm wrong."

Orochimaru growled. "Just because I no longer can use jutsu doesn't mean you can defeat me, I am still a Sannin!"

"Never underestimate your opponent!"

Kakashi jumped back to safe distance and began weaving hand signs. Lightning suddenly appeared around his hands. He pulled the lightning apart in-between his two hands, forming two _Raikiri_. (Lightning Blade) He charged with blinding speed, leaving two streams of blue light, and struck Orochimaru with one _Raikiri_ , sending the Sannin flying high into the air, repeatedly hitting Orochimaru with that one _Raikiri_ in a zig-zag formation until Kakashi came from above with his second _Raikiri._

" _Raikiri: S_ _ō_ _raishin!"_ (Lightning Blade: Twin Lightning Shiver)

Kakashi finally slammed his second _Raikiri_ into Orochimaru and drove the Sannin into the ground, causing the ground to erupt into a large explosion. The dust settled to reveal that Orochimaru somehow dodged the attack by shedding his skin at the last moment.

"Huff, huff…" 'That was too big of a gamble…I've already used half my chakra just from one attack.' Kakashi inwardly thought.

"You're quite the annoyance…heh-heh-heh."

Kakashi turned around to see Orochimaru down on a knee, struggling to catch his breath as well. "…Clock's ticking. The reinforcements will be here any minute." 'Just using any type of jutsu wears him down…we actually might get him this time.'

Orochimaru looked like he was contemplating his options. "It seems I actually may have underestimated you, Kakashi. A mistake I will not make again! Kabuto…" The silver-haired man jumped in. "…do it."

Kabuto looked at his master in shock. "But Lord Orochimaru…you're not ready-"

"Kabuto…are you arguing with me?"

Kabuto sighed. "Very well." The teenager began to weave a series of fast-paced hand seals. A yellow aura appeared and began to surround both Orochimaru and Kabuto, as if they were sharing something. "Forbidden Jutsu: Gedō Mark: Seal!"

Suddenly, Kakashi felt an unbearable pain in his Sharingan eye that instantly dropped him to his knees. He grasped his scarred eye, trying to ease the pain. "Ngh?!"

"Arghhhh!" Orochimaru screamed in like pain, dropping to his knees as well.

Kakashi moved his hand away from his searing eye to try and open it but his eye lid wouldn't budge, it only made the pain even worse. He glared at his enemies with his one good eye. "Ngh…what have you done?!"

Orochimaru's rasp breathing quickly turned into laughter. "Heh-heh-heh-heh…your Sharingan is now useless!"

"What?!"

Gai and Asuma landed next to their comrade. Gai knelt next to his rival. "Kakashi, are you alright?!"

"What happened here?!" Asuma questioned as he stood guard over his fellow jōnin.

Kabuto knew his master wouldn't like this plan, but they needed to get out of here fast. He moved under Orochimaru's arm and hoisted him up. "Lord Orochimaru, your body can't take this much strain. We need to escape, reinforcements will be here soon." 'The jutsu sapped his strength much faster than I expected…this isn't good.'

"Huff, huff…Kakashi, you, too, will learn to suffer." The two Oto shinobi jumped away and disappeared into the night.

"Hey, get back here!" Asuma yelled out as he chased after them.

Gai looked over his rival. "Kakashi…what happened here?"

Kakashi kept his head down. "N-Nothing…nothing at all."

Gai looked further. "Your eye…" Kakashi was quick to lower his headband to cover it. "We need to let the Fifth Hokage take a look at this."

"Y…yeah…You're right." 'The Gedō Mark…what on earth?!'

 **-The following morning, atop the Hokage's Mansion-**

"The Gedō Mark?!" Tsunade gasped in shock. When Kakashi came to her a few minutes ago and requested to speak in private this was not what she had in mind. She was troubled by the fact that Orochimaru made an attempt to gain entry into the village, but the memory of what this particular jutsu could do was not a pleasant memory. "That's a nasty jutsu to have cast on you."

"It is, huh…what kind of jutsu is it anyway?"

"It's one of the Forbidden Jutsus that Orochimaru created during the Second Shinobi War. It combines the power of 'seal' and 'confusion' into one technique. And both possess terrible effects…"

Kakashi was already starting to piece things together. "So…what was cast on me was…"

"The 'Gedō Mark: Seal' that wipes out your kekkei genkai ability…that's the pain you're filling in your left eye."

The silver-haired jōnin absent mindedly place his hand over his covered left eye. "Some jutsu…"

"However, it uses up a freighting amount of chakra. For Orochimaru, this jutsu is a double-edged sword…the fact he's using this technique means he must really be desperate."

A bolt of pain shot through Kakashi's eye, causing him to grab the railing to keep his balance. "Ngh…H-How do we cure this?"

Tsunade's eyes dropped in sadness. "That's…the bad news, there isn't cure I know of now."

Kakashi's heart sank into his stomach. "…Now?"

"During the war, Sarutobi sensei was deeply troubled by the technique's cruel effects. After the war, he created the 'Gedō Mark: Release' and saved countless ninja from the jutsu. He wanted to prevent future generations from using the Gedō Mark…he put the Gedō Mark and the 'Gedō Mark: Release' inside the Scroll of Seals and hid the scroll somewhere in the village."

Kakashi sensed something bad. "Where is the Scroll of Seals?"

"…I'm not sure."

"How are you not sure? I thought only the Hokage and authorized personal had access to that scroll."

"I'm starting to think Sarutobi sensei stopped trusting those around him in his final years, it would certainly explain a lot of the decisions he made. It wouldn't surprise me if he hid the Scroll of Seals away from everyone, including those closest to him."

"And the Third Hokage is dead now…meaning no one else knows where he hid that scroll."

"…I'm afraid so." Tsunade hung her head. "I'm sorry. I'll have Jiraiya do what he can when he returns but I doubt it'll make much of a difference."

Kakashi kept his expression as neutral as he could. "It's alright…thanks anyway, Lady Tsunade." The man turned to leave.

"Wait." Tsunade called out, causing Kakashi to turn back. "Avoid using your Sharingan at all costs, it'll slow the damaging effects of the jutsu." Without saying a word, Kakashi walked away. Tsunade sighed and grabbed ahold of the rail. She gripped the metal so tight that she snapped the bar clean off.

"Damn it! Some healer I am!"

Kakashi silently walked down the spiral pathway that went around the building, allowing the information to sink into his brain. He could no longer use his Sharingan…his entire arsenal of jutsu was practically useless now. He felt a shell of his former self. He hadn't fought a serious battle without his Sharingan in so long that he wasn't sure if he could anymore, he relied on it so heavily. It was his ace in the hole.

"Kakashi…"

The man in question looked up to see Gai standing in front of him with curiosity in his eyes. "Gai…did Asuma come back?"

The jōnin in the green jump suit nodded. "Yes. The trail went cold about ten miles out, he just returned not to long ago. I was coming to inform Lady Tsunade until I saw you."

"Right…"

Gai noticed the lack of emotion from his eternal rival. "Is everything alright?"

"…Yeah. Everything's fine, I was just informing the Hokage on the situation."

Gai nodded. This was odd, Kakashi wasn't usually one to be so cold. It had been a long time since he had hidden himself away and Gai was not about to let it happen again. "Meet me at the Memorial Stone…I need to talk to you."

"Not today, Gai. I'm not up for another round…besides, I'm meeting with my team today."

"Then come find me when you're done. I'll be waiting."

"…Sure."

 **-With Orochimaru and Kabuto, somewhere in the Land of Fire-**

Orochimaru breathed heavily as he rested against a tree, Kabuto scanning the area to make sure they had not been followed. He was able to lose their pursuer some time ago but he wasn't ready to say they were home free just yet, tracking ninja and ninja hounds were no doubt looking for them.

"…Heh-heh-heh-heh…I never thought it would zap so much strength from just one use."

Kabuto turned back to face his master. "Yes, it was a miscalculation." 'That jutsu almost killed him in his weakened state…if we hadn't escaped when we did then there's no telling how bad he'd be right now.'

"That damn Third Hokage…it's all his fault. I wouldn't be suffering like this if he hadn't sealed my arms." His heavy breathing turned into laughter. "No matter, I'll proceed just as soon as I recover some of my strength."

"But Lord Orochimaru…your body can't handle the stress. We need to return to my lab, and I need to create a new, stronger medicine."

"I already told you, didn't I?" Orochimaru glared at his subordinate, causing Kabuto to physically finch. "I just need to endure until my arms are healed. I will not be denied!"

Kabuto sighed, it wasn't strategically sound for them to go charging back towards the village by themselves. Their plan called for devastation on Konoha but the two of them wouldn't be enough, at the very least they would need a team. He swallowed in preparation for what he was about to say to his agitated master.

"Lord Orochimaru…the two of us alone won't be enough to cause the havoc we need for Tsunade to bend to your demands. We'll need others. Summon the Sound Four."

The Snake Sannin growled in annoyance that Kabuto questioned his decisions further, but he couldn't deny that bringing those four would be beneficial. Their skill sets were enough to challenge any shinobi of Konoha could throw at them, plus it would lessen the strain on him as well.

"Fine…Bring me the Sound Four."

 **-With Team Seven-**

"So, what's this about sensei?" Sakura questioned. "Why did you have us meet at the village's cemetery today?"

Kakashi looked over his young team, nothing seemed out of the ordinary from yesterday's 'kill or be killed' fight between Naruto and Sasuke, who were both still nursing dark bruises on their cheeks. He closed his book and placed in his back pouch, trying to hide the fact his left eye was in great pain.

"There's no hiding went down last night, we don't need to discuss the details of that. But there something that needs to be said." Naruto noticed that Kakashi's voice sounded different, almost husky. As if he was trying to cover up something. "We are a team, no matter if two of you are chūnin or not, and we will continue to be a team throughout the rest of our shinobi careers. Actively trying to kill a comrade is something I will not stand for, and neither will the Hokage. Both of you should be thankful Lady Tsunade is allowing me to handle the situation. I have no doubt there would have been serious consequences if this went to the council."

Both Naruto and Sasuke looked away, knowing full well how lucky they were to keep their rank and their occupation as a shinobi. Sakura looked her teammates concerningly, she was just as guilty as them. She made no effort to try and convince Sasuke not to challenge Naruto and she practically begged Naruto to do something about Sasuke. She wouldn't have been surprised if she was brought in to receive the same punishment if this had gone to the council.

"But like I said last night, I can't be all that mad that you two fought. Me and my teammate did the exact same thing…which brings me to why I called the three of you here. Follow me."

The three shinobi looked at each other confusingly before shrugging their shoulders and following their teacher through the cemetery. They passed by countless stone tablets that were embedded into the ground, each with a different name of some one who had died. Off in the corner of the cemetery was a kunai-shaped black structure that was connected to a small field.

"This is the Memorial Stone." Kakashi said as they approached the structure. "The names of those who gave their lives in the name of Konoha are craved into this stone."

Sakura looked on in amazement, she knew this stone was here but the seriousness of what it stood for rocked her to her core. Sasuke hid his emotions about being here but felt similarly. Naruto had been here countless times, reading the name of the Fourth Hokage and wondering why he had chosen him…until he learned who the Fourth Hokage really was.

"Is somebody you know on here, sensei?" Sakura questioned.

"…Yes. My entire genin team is craved here." All three looked at their sensei in total shock. "Teamwork is the most important thing out in the field…because when shit hits the fan your team is all you have out there. You have to rely on each other and keep each other safe. What most people don't understand about being in a team is you aren't just fighting for the village…but you're fighting for them too. You end up fighting for your team more than your home because they become like family to you…and you never abandon your family. Those who break the rules are scum. But you know what? Those who abandon their comrades are even worse than that."

Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke allowed the words of their sensei to sink into their minds, all seeing just how important this meant to him and the reasoning behind it. They all looked at the black stone with a new perspective on what they were as a team and who they were to each other.

"Now, I don't want to hear or see anything more about these types of fights between you, or any other comrade. I will not stand for it. Understand?"

The three young shinobi nodded their heads in complete understanding. There were not about to disobey their sensei, especially when it came to something like this that meant so much to him.

"Good. Now, Lady Tsunade might have a mission for us here soon. I'll put out the details when I get more info, the day is yours. See ya around." Kakashi waved lazily over his shoulder as he walked away from his team.

 **-Hours later-**

"You're late as ever, Kakashi."

After hours of wandering aimlessly through the village, Kakashi finally was able to find Gai in one of the training fields that were inside the village walls. He waited in a tree until Gai was finished with his team training before he made his appearance known.

"…Sorry."

The two said nothing as a gust of wind passed between them.

"Is your eye feeling better, Kakashi?" His rival continued his silence. "Hey Kakashi…?"

"I'm sorry, Gai…"

Gai narrowed his eyes as he continued to try and read his rivals inner thoughts, which was not an easy thing to do. "…I see…" He moved into a fighting stance. "Let's fight!"

"Huh?"

"There's nothing like exercise when you're feeling down! Sweat your cares away!"

Kakashi remained stoic. There wasn't much else Kakashi could do to get his point across to Gai except to relay it in a fight or a battle of some sort. "This might be the last time I'll be able to fight you Gai."

Unexpectedly, Gai smirked. "Hmph…That doesn't sound like the Kakashi I know. I won't go easy on you."

"…That's fine."

 **-Ichiraku Ramen-**

"That…was some heavy stuff." Sakura said as she looked down at her bowl of ramen. Team Seven wasn't sure what do after what they had learned from there meeting with their sensei, so they found themselves at Ichiraku to discuss things amongst themselves.

"I never would've guessed that Kakashi's entire genin team would be dead." Sasuke added. "It sheds some light on things about him."

Naruto finished the noodles in his mouth before he spoke. "You guys are speaking like our whole team dynamic changed. Nothing's changed, we just have a new appreciation for each other. That's all."

Sasuke looked beyond the pinkette that sat between him and Naruto. "What are you talking about, dobe?"

"We've already had that bond that Kakashi sensei talked about today. The fact we know why he holds teamwork above any other thing he could teach us doesn't change much…at least for me anyway. I already saw you guys as family before today." Naruto slurped up another large amount of noodles.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Sakura conceded. "Still, it's sad that he's the only surviving member of his genin team. I can't imagine how that feels…but I'm glad he was able to make it through all of it and become our sensei. I honestly wouldn't want anyone else to be our teacher.

Sasuke smirked. "I'll agree to that." He brought the last little bit of noodles to his mouth with his chopsticks before sliding the bowl away. "Alright, I'm going to take off. I need to run a few errands if we'll be going on a mission soon." The Uchiha teen stood from his seat and left the restaurant. "Later guys."

"Bye Sasuke."

"See ya teme." Naruto called out as he lifted his bowl to Teuchi so he could have another bowl.

Sakura stirred her broth with her chopsticks as she glanced at her blonde teammate, taking in his new look as a chūnin. His overall outfit hadn't changed, he simply wore the unzipped chūnin flak vest over his unzipped orange and blue jacket. But what caught the pinkette's eye was the emerald necklace hanging around Naruto's neck, the very same necklace that the Hokage wore.

"Is that Lady Tsunade's necklace, Naruto?"

"Hm? Oh, yeah. Baa-chan gave it to me as a gift for making it to chūnin. Did you know it was the First Hokage's?"

"You're kidding?!"

Naruto grinned. "Nope! It's even worth some money. I think she said like three mountains worth of gold or something like that."

Sakura's jaw hit the countertop, theoretically of course. Three mountains of gold?! How was that even possible?! "That's…some gift for being promoted to chūnin. You and Lady Tsunade must be really close if she gave you such a valuable necklace."

Naruto fiddled with the emerald necklace as he recalled memories of his first meeting the woman all those years ago. "Baa-chan's saved my life twice now…she's the closest thing I've had for a mom."

Sakura felt no need to comment further on Tsunade's mothership on Naruto, she had seen it in full to believe it. "Will your heart problem come back again?"

Reaching for his bowl of fresh ramen, Naruto stopped momentarily before setting the steaming bowl down. "…It shouldn't…so long as I don't use Tojin."

Sakura raised her eyebrow in confusion. "Tojin? What's that?"

"Remember that sword I had when I fought Gaara?" Sakura nodded in remembrance. "That's Tojin. The best way I can describe it is as a spiritual sword that I bonded with."

"How does one bond with a sword?" Frankly, Sakura was having a bit of trouble wrapping her head around the fact there was such a thing as a spiritual sword but, then again, there were giant beasts of chakra sealed inside people…so a living sword wasn't out of the realm of possibility.

"I, uh…had to fight it."

Sakura looked at her teammate incredulously. "You fought a sword?"

"Well…I fought the guardian who protected Tojin. I had to prove my worth to Tojin."

"Okay…I feel like we got a bit off topic. What's Tojin have to do with your heart condition?"

Naruto's expression turned more serious than usual. "Tojin is an extremely powerful weapon, as you saw, but there is a massive tradeoff. What fuels Tojin's power is the user's animalistic intent and lust for blood, or feral. And since I'm the Kyuubi's jinchūriki my feral merges with his, and I can't control that. The feral and surge of power are just too much for my heart to handle and it causes the cancer to come back….Baa-chan forbade me from using it anymore."

Sakura wasn't sure what to say about any of this. Naruto held a power like this was crazy for someone their age, she was pretty sure he could take on their entire graduating class at once and win. But she held a sense of relief that there was this tradeoff, as screwed up as that sounded, because she didn't want to see Naruto go on an uncontrollable rampage and possibly die because his heart couldn't take the strain.

"But I'm not going to let this stop me, I'll still become the strongest and prove to the village that they were wrong about me…with or without Tojin!"

Sakura smiled softly. She honestly enjoyed seeing this side of Naruto, it felt like a treat. He was normally so profound and meticulous that it gave the impression that he didn't have a 'nice' side to him. It was such a breath of fresh air to see Naruto act more their age, without a care in the world. And the fact it was mostly around her, and those he cared deeply, made her feel special to him. She reached over and placed her hand over Naruto's, causing the blonde to stop and look at Sakura.

"I know you will…and I can't wait to be there to see it."

Naruto turned his hand over and held Sakura's hand within his. He wasn't sure where his relationship with this girl was going, it was odd really. Sakura had a near complete devotion to Sasuke when their team first formed, giving Naruto the impression that he never had a shot with Sakura if he ever developed feelings for her, but that devotion had practically disappeared in recent memory.

Had Sakura forgotten her feelings for Sasuke? Naruto didn't know. Understanding a woman's feelings to someone was not a part of his knowledge, but Naruto knew when someone either liked or disliked him. He had learned to pick up on subtle bodily movements and mannerisms from his isolation and dealing with angry villagers. Obviously, holding hands was a very strong indication of affectionate feelings towards someone…but to what end in this case?

Naruto figured only time would tell.

 **-With Kakashi and Gai-**

"Argh! Blast it! I lost…" Gai huffed as he pushed himself off the ground. Kakashi had outsmarted him fair and square, victory was his.

"Whew…" Kakashi breathed, that round was a lot closer than he would've liked.

"That's fifty wins and fifty loses. It's anyone's game!"

"Yeah…"

Gai stood from the ground and stretched a bit before he turned to leave the area. "I'm not the type to leave things hanging like that. We'll settle this sooner or later. You got that? This isn't over!" The man jumped away.

"Gai…"

Kakashi collected himself and dusted himself off from his friendly bout, he honestly felt a little better. That fight showed him he was still capable of handling himself in a real fight, to an extent. A dire situation that called for his Sharingan would not be something he could handle. He hoped he wouldn't be put in a situation like that for a while…


	26. Chapter 26

" _What's that, Tsunade? You need the Scroll of Seals?"_

 _The blonde Sannin nodded her head respectively, as she was in front of the three highest rank members of Konoha. The Third Hokage, himself, was seated at his desk and his two advisors, and longtime teammates, Homura Mitokado and Koharu Utatane were standing behind him. She requested a meet with them to ask if she could use the Scroll of Seals. They were in the middle of a war, she needed something more if she wanted to save lives._

" _Yes…Please, I need to see that scroll."_

" _Hmm." The Hokage mumbled._

" _There's a war going on, sensei…Many ninjas are fighting and dying. Many of them victims of Forbidden Jutsus. Lord Hokage, I need to study the Scroll of Seals so I can protect our shinobi from those jutsus."_

" _I sympathize with your dilemma, Tsunade." Homura began. "But you must understand, the Scroll of Seals isn't something we can let anyone study from. In that scroll are some of the most powerful Forbidden Jutsu ever created, most of which were put in there by the First Hokage, your grandfather. Only the Hokage is allowed access."_

" _Your healing talents are sufficient, Tsunade." Koharu added in conjunction with Homura. "Your abilities are more than enough without the scroll."_

" _But-"_

" _A Hokage's duty is to guard secret information. My dear, you should know that better than anyone."_

 _Tsunade wanted to keep her argument going, but it seemed their minds were made up. She thought it was ironic that it was the Hokage's duty to safeguard the Scroll of Seals but it was up to the Hokage's advisors that allowed anyone access. Keeping her mouth shut from any smart aleck comments, Tsunade conceded. "Ngh…I understand. Thank you for meeting with me on such short notice."_

" _Tsunade…that which you seek…is protected by heroes."_

" _Sarutobi!" Homura yelled._

" _Should Konoha ever be in peril, and for some reason I am not around to protect her…you should go…"_

Tsunade jolted up from her position on her desk. Had she really fallen asleep doing paperwork again? She wiped her cheek free of the dried drool and tried to regain her bearings. By the look of the sun, it was just past sunrise but that was not was occupying Tsunade's mind. That dream, or memory, was about her request to study from the Scroll of Seals during the Third Shinobi War. That comment from the Third Hokage didn't mean much to her then, but now?

'Protected by heroes…what could it mean? Is that the key to finding the Gedō Mark?'

There was a soft knock that drew Tsunade out of her thoughts, she straightened her desk up and made herself presentable. Just as she was about to say that the person could enter, her window opened and a familiar face slid his way into the office. She then realized the knock came from the window and not the door.

"Jiraiya? What are you doing? Don't you ever use the door like a normal person?"

The white-haired Sannin shrugged with a smirk. "Doors aren't as fun; besides I like making an interesting entrance."

Tsunade rolled her eyes, memories of countless loud and annoying 'entrances'. "Don't remind me. Moving on, the report you sent…how accurate are the sources?"

Jiraiya looked at his longtime comrade with a straight-face, believing it to be a stupid question, but held back any sort of back talk. "Unfortunately, very accurate. Iwagakure and Kirigakure are mobilizing their units…they're coming soon."

Tsunade let out a heavy sigh. "This isn't good…we haven't even started getting our own shinobi ready for a war like this…hell, the council doesn't even know yet."

"You're right, they don't…but I already took measures to help with getting our forces ready."

The Hokage raised her eyebrow with intrigue. "You did? How so?"

"After the meeting with the Fire Daimyō to decide who'd be the next Hokage, I had a little talk with Shikaku Nara…Konoha's Jōnin Commander and top strategist."

Well, that would've been good to know coming into her position, but that matter could be dealt with later. "How much does he know?"

Jiraiya crossed his arms. "He's up to speed on everything. Hopefully, he already implemented a plan of some kind and has strategies ready to go."

Tsunade nodded. "That's a bit of a relief…but the overall problem is that we'll be fighting _two_ great villages. It was bad enough back in the day when it was all-out war, everyone against everyone, we're going to be outnumbered by a large margin."

Jiraiya nodded his head in understanding. "I thought about that and I think I might have a solution."

Tsunade was starting to become surprised, Jiraiya was thinking more like a Hokage than she was. Maybe she was the wrong person for the job. "What's that?"

"On my way back, I decided to make a quick stop in Sunagakure to see if they elected a new Kazekage yet, seeing how the Fourth Kazekage was killed by Orochimaru just before the Chūnin Exams."

"Have they?"

Jiraiya shook his head. "No, the impression I got was they are waiting for someone to come of age. The Kazekage has been more of a family tradition in their eyes than choosing the best leader. Regardless, the Suna high council is looking to discuss a peace treaty with our village, try and get back to how things were before Orochimaru got in the middle of things. The word on the street was they are sending a liaison to discuss everything."

"When would the liaison be coming here? And who?" A part of Tsunade's mind felt like this was too good to be true, it was rare for a great village to seek out a treaty with another village that they attacked.

"Suna's jinchūriki, Gaara of the Sand. He and his siblings should be here soon. I believe I passed them on my way here."

"The jinchūriki? Didn't those three just compete in the Chūnin Exams? Why on earth would the Suna council send a team of genin to discuss a peace treaty?"

"Remember how I said the Kazekage is more of a family tradition?"

The words clicked in Tsunade's mind. "They're the Kazekage's children…Suna is testing out which of the three will the better candidate. That's why they haven't elected a new Kage. But how does that help our situation?"

"We can use them to our advantage, make them an ally again for this upcoming war. From what I could gather, the Suna Council seemed pretty willing to do just about anything to back on our good side. It's apparent they haven't forgotten the last time they stood against us."

How could they? How could anyone? It was a straight massacre. During the Second Shinobi World War, Sunagakure had requested a joint mission with Konohagakure to seize control over a critical supply route, or commonly referred to as an MSR (Main Supply Route), that would benefit both parties. Konoha was concerned that it could be a trap but ultimately decided that the opportunity could not be wasted. To ensure that everything would go smoothly, Konoha assigned Sakumo Hatake and his team the mission.

During the mission, the Suna shinobi betrayed Sakumo and his team. But their betrayal was expected and Sakumo was well prepared. In the end, over fifty Sunagakure jōnin, which included two of Suna's best puppet masters, had been killed and Sakumo's team held down the MSR from other enemy attacks for days. Sakumo's leadership and heroism was recognized throughout the shinobi world, earning him the nickname 'White Fang'. After the incident, Sunagakure hardly interfered with Konoha affairs until a peace treaty had been signed years later.

Tsunade mulled over the idea and nodded her head. "It could work. I'll let the council know about the treaty and see what they say. I have no doubt they'll be suspicious of the idea, though."

The toad Sannin nodded his head in understanding. "That's pretty much all I got. Anything interesting happen while I was away?"

"…Do I have a story for you…"

 **-With Team Ten, BBQ Palace-**

"Chōji slow down!" Ino yelled in annoyance. It was the same scene every time they came here to this restaurant, Chōji would just shovel meat down his throat and end up getting sick because sometimes the meat wasn't completely cooked. "You're gonna get sick if you keep eating like that. Why not slow down and appreciate the taste?"

Chōji plucked another piece of meat off the grill. "I know how to eat a lot and appreciate the taste, Ino. I've had years of practice."

"Well it explains why you are so fa-"

"Ino!" Shikamaru spoke up. "That word is taboo, remember? But Chōji, eating isn't a battle. Lighten up a bit." The chubby boy just smiled as he chewed the food in his mouth.

Asuma took the un-lit cigarette out of his mouth to speak. "You have been eating a lot more lately, Chōji. Why don't you spend more time training? Look at Shikamaru, he's already a chūnin."

Chōji's happy demeanor instantly changed and his head drooped down in disappointment. Shikamaru noticed this. And then to make matters worse, Ino just had to chime in and give her two cents on the subject.

"Yeah Chōji! You'll never get a girlfriend the way you are now. Train, diet, and get skinny like me and you'll shed those pounds away like nothing. You'll get way more girls that way!"

Chōji's head sagged even lower. He suddenly lost his appetite and didn't feel like eating anymore. He silently excused himself from the table and made his way to the bathroom. Shikamaru remained back for a moment before following his friend. He approached Chōji and placed a hand on Chōji's shoulder.

"Don't let Ino get to you man, she doesn't know what she's talking about. Guys don't necessarily like skinny girls as much as they tend to claim. I hear guys like more stacked girls, if you catch my drift. And if Ino actually stopped starving herself and put on a pound or two…she'd probably be more popular with the guys." Shikamaru puffed out his cheeks in a silly way that made Chōji smile and laugh slightly.

"Ha-ha…You know, Shikamaru, you're just as funny as you are smart."

"Huh?"

"Compared to Neji and Sasuke…even Naruto…you're far more incredible."

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck. "I never thought about that. I'm just me, after all. But if you and I were to fight, you'd probably beat me. I'd end up quitting if I had to fight you."

"But sensei just told me I eat way too much and need to focus more on training. And you were promoted to chūnin with the others and I wasn't."

"And didn't I just say I am me…and you are you. There's no point in comparing ourselves to each other. It's just stupid and a troublesome waste of time. Don't take Asuma's words too personally. Just relax and do what you think is right. Everything will work out."

Shikamaru's words seemed to have uplifted Chōji, evident by the smile on the boy's face. The Nara boy gave a reassuring pat on Chōji's shoulder before turning to leave the restroom.

"Anyways, I'll see you later. I gotta get going."

"…Shikamaru."

The boy in question stopped and looked over his shoulder. "Yeah?"

"Good luck…with everything."

Shikamaru smirked. "Yeah." 'You're a good guy, Chōji…don't change. You'll become really strong one day.'

 **-With Team Eight-**

Kurenai inwardly sighed, she wasn't one to get disappointed or upset over things but this was definitely trying her patience. Out of all the genin teams to make it through to the second stage of the Chūnin Exams and on to the preliminary round, her team was the only one to get eliminated entirely and miss out on the third stage. She felt bad for them, honestly, the three of them had so much potential. Shino and Hinata both here slated to take control over their respective clans someday. Kiba would be in the same boat if he would stop complaining about not becoming a chūnin. Even now, in the middle of a team meeting.

"Man, it's so stupid they made those four chūnin…I should've been promoted too!" The Inuzuka boy griped loudly. "Me and Akamaru could mop the floor with them any day of the week!"

"Kiba…you lost your preliminary match against Naruto." Kurenai pointed out as she rubbed the bridge of her nose.

"That was a total fluke!" Kiba barked, Akamaru whined silently atop his hooded head.

"A total fluke on your behalf." Shino chimed in. "Why you ask? Because Naruto-"

"Nobody asked Shino! You lost to that damn brooding Sasuke so you can't say anything!"

Hinata tried to speak. "K-Kiba, it's alright."

"No, it's not alright! We are the only team from our graduating class that didn't have someone make it to the finals. And during the invasion, we got stuck looking for villagers to safety! How the hell can I prove my strength if I can't do anything?"

"Consider yourself lucky you didn't get ordered to stay with the villagers!" Kurenai seemed to have finally had enough of Kiba's complaining. "Normally genin aren't allowed to go anywhere near the fighting during an attack like that. Instead of whining, you should be thankful that you survived and that your friends survived as well."

Kiba crossed his arms and grumbled noncoherent words that, if heard, would probably only make matters worse. He didn't want to admit he was acting childish, which he knew he was, but his sensei had a very valid point. Everyone he cared about survived, that should be cause for celebration.

Kurenai sighed again, she understood Kiba's frustration but all this complaining was reaching near stupidity levels. She also knew Kiba wasn't the only one who was frustrated, both Hinata and Shino were disappointed because they didn't advance as far as they wanted to in the exams. They were just better at hiding it. "You three will get your chance again, it's not like the Chūnin Exams are a one-time event. Next time around you'll be more experience and better prepared, I can promise that."

As much Kiba wanted to continue ranting on about how he should a chūnin with his comrades, he couldn't hide the fact he was ready to get back to training like there was no tomorrow. Shino was in a similar boat, he may not show what he's thinking or feeling majority of the time but he was certainly ready to back to work. Hinata was the most reserved about this. She wanted to get stronger so that she wouldn't hold her team back more than she felt she did, but not knowing when the next opportunity to be promoted would come did discourage the girl.

'Naruto…I don't want to fall behind.'

It was a light switch for the young Hyūga heiress. Hinata suddenly felt the motivation of her two teammates and was ready to give it her all. She wouldn't fall behind, she'd walk next to Naruto one day.

"Let's get started then!"

 **-With Team Gai-**

Gai huffed and huffed, it was rare that his students could wear him out like this. To be more specific, it was his most youthful student Lee that was running him down. As much as he loved to see such fire and motivation in someone so young, it was down right exhausting to be moving so fast for so long. Tenten had given up trying to keep up with Lee and decided to sit on a downed tree to watch the show. Neji was watching…or at least Gai hoped he was. Neji was training his Byakugan on the other side of the field.

"Lee…how about a bit of a break?" It felt so unyouthful to say such a thing.

"Let's go Gai sensei! I'm nowhere near ready to be done! Youth never waits!"

Tenten couldn't help the shit eating grin on her face, all her sensei's preaching about youth was finally coming back around. Karama was a nasty thing. She looked over to her other teammate that was on the other side of the field. With Neji's back to them, it was hard to tell if he was really aware of his surroundings. Tenten walked over to him while Gai continued to try and convince Lee to take a break.

"Tenten." Neji greeted, his back to her. 'Seven birds…two o'clock, all within a fifty-meter radius.'

"I was checking up on you, making your training was going well." Tenten smiled as she leaned against a tree. She no longer heard bickering from behind her, maybe Gai got through to Lee.

"Everything is fine. Training my eyes is something none of you can help me with."

"I know."

"Then why come over here? It seems like as waste of energy to me."

Tenten sighed, while Neji had cut back on being a rude and close-minded person he wasn't always the most friendly. She hoped that would change with time. Whatever Naruto did to snap Neji out of his rut must've been something fierce. "I guess I'm still getting used to the fact you were promoted to chūnin…maybe even a little jealous." She couldn't deny that the green vest looked good on her teammate, she'd never admit that though.

Neji smirked. "It seems you aren't the only one."

Back across the field was Lee, who had decided to listen to his teacher and took a small breather, his eyes trained on the Hyūga chūnin. It had been like this since their team formed, Lee using Neji as motivation, but this was different. Neji was a chūnin now, Lee was not. This fact only threw gasoline on Lee's fiery spirit, causing him to go into extreme overdrive with his training.

"Did you expect anything else?" Tenten asked. "He's always boasting about how he'll beat you one day and that you're his rival."

"Lee can think what he wants. I recognize Lee's strength but he's not my main concern. My eyes are set on someone else."

Tenten raised an eyebrow in question. That was the first time Neji had said something like that about Lee, he really had changed. "Who?"

An unexpected bird flew out of a tree that Neji did not see. "There were eight birds…" But then Neji saw something else he didn't expect, there was someone walking towards him through the trees who stirred up the bird. A fellow chūnin.

"I thought I'd find you out here."

Deactivating his dōjutsu, Neji approached the young genius. "Shikamaru Nara…what are you doing out here?"

Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck as if he was annoyed. "I came out here to talk to you, try and hash some things out."

"Like what? You and I have no quarrel with each other, in fact, this is the first time we've spoken like this."

"Not in the manner you're thinking of. You, me, Sasuke, and Naruto were all promoted together, it's more than likely we'll be sent on some missions together. Seeing how the four of us have never been around each other collectively, I figured it'd be a good idea to learn some things about one another."

Neji narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Learn what kind of things?"

Shikamaru smirked. "You ever play shogi?"

 **-Somewhere in the Land of Fire, not far from Konoha-**

"You're late…I should kill you four for that."

Orochimaru was no mood to forgive anything, the pain in his arms were increasing and his impatience was at an all time high. Kabuto was relieved that he hadn't gone on a massive killing spree during their wait for them.

Before Orochimaru and Kabuto knelt four individuals, all with the same clothing. The matching clothing was a beige-colored, sleeveless tunic with the symbol of their group on the hem and a pair of black pants with a purple, rope like belt around their waists. The first individual was easily the largest of the group, he had fair skin and three tuffs of orange hair on his head: a mohawk style of sorts that ran down the middle and two similar tuffs on each side. He also had a necklace comprised of red circular separating long, metallic pieces. The second individual was possibly the most unique out of the group with his six arms and dark skin. His shaggy hair was tied into a ponytail so it wouldn't get into his black eyes, he was one of two that wore the Otogakure forehead protector. The third individual had a second head that hung loosely attached to his upper back, both with the same dark blue hair. In fact, the features on both heads were near identical. His long dark blue bangs covered his right eye, while it was opposite on his attached head. Both wore a green shaded lipstick and had dark markings around their eyes. The fourth and final individual was, no doubt, the most normal looking out of the group. She had long, dark pink hair with parted bangs that framed her face and one portion that hung between her eyes, which was kept out of her vision by a black hat with pipe-like stripes and bandaged sides. She also kept a flute tucked into her belt on her side.

"Forgive our tardiness, Lord Orochimaru," the man with two heads began, "we came as quick as we could."

"Be quiet Sakon, I am not in the mood for excuses." The four winced at their master's tone, it was icy and full of malice. "We will be assaulting the Leaf and we will _not_ stop until Tsunade heals my arms. I do not care if you four live or die, all that matters is Tsunade healing my arms. That is our only goal."

The four individuals nodded in understanding. "We live to serve you, Lord Orochimaru." The largest member said. "I will force those weaklings to heal you."

"Be quiet fatso. No one cares happens to you." The lone female said, as if it were the truth.

"Tayuya…why must you say such things? We are on the same team."

"Because I don't like you, fatso." Tayuya said once again, causing the large man to grumble to himself.

"Enough! Tayuya, Jirōbō…do us all a favor and shut the hell up." The man with six arms said.

Kabuto approached the four, causing all of them to be silent. "Jirōbō of the South Gate…" The large man towered over his teammates. "Tayuya of the North Gate…" The red-head rose to her feet. "Kidōmaru of the East Gate…" The man with six arms stood on his feet. "And Sakon of the West Gate…" The man with two heads smirked as he rose. Kabuto turned back to face his master. "The Sound Four have assembled, Lord Orochimaru."

Orochimaru smiled sinisterly as he looked on at his subordinates, these were four of the strongest under him. Each of them were on-par with average jōnin. Orochimaru considered Jirōbō to be the weakest overall, but he had the most physical strength. Next was Kidōmaru. Kidōmaru was easily the smartest of the group and created most of their battle strategies. Then was Tayuya who was the self-proclaimed second strongest, which Orochimaru agreed with. The leader, and strongest of the four, was Sakon. His speed and power were only surpassed by himself, Kabuto, and one other.

'If all else fails…Kimimaro will be the one to bring Sasuke to me. My body won't be handle to hold out much longer.'

Orochimaru turned and began towards Konoha, his subordinates following. "Today…Konoha will fall!"

 **-Nara Compound-**

As expected, this game of shogi was one of the most challenging Shikamaru has ever had. There was only one other person who could give him such a back and forth game like this, but to finally face someone near his intellectual level was greatly refreshing. Every move Neji made was calculated and made with the sole intent on capturing the opposing king, he even made a few sacrifices that Shikamaru didn't see coming.

Both were down to their final pieces; a single mistake would spell defeat for one and victory for the other.

"A simple board game that projects battle strategies? An interesting way gauge my abilities as a strategist, Shikamaru." Neji said as he moved his bishop into position.

Shikamaru examined the remaining pieces before he answered. "The purpose of shogi is to use strategy to outsmart and defeat your opponent. Is that any different than battle between two shinobi?" Shikamaru placed his rook in front of his king, using the piece as a shield.

"No. A battle between shinobi is certainly a strategy heavy event, one must be able to deduce and react without doubt." The Hyūga took Shikamaru's rook and placed the bishop in front of the king. No checkmate, a bishop can only move diagonally. "I would have preferred that you told me the purpose of the game before we started so I could've done the same."

Shikamaru smirked. "Then I would've revealed my plan. That's basically a suicide note in battle. And if I did? If I was a betting man, you probably would have changed up your strategy and how you approached the game so I couldn't get an accurate read on you. The Hyūga clan is known for doing everything they possibly can to keep their secrets."

Neji took his pale eyes off the game board and looked at Shikamaru. "You've done your research…but so have I. The Nara clan are intellectual powerhouses and known for their shadow binding techniques. Your clan also has a highly detailed scroll of medical practices and preparations that's been kept for generations. Your special relationships with the Yamanaka and Akimichi allow three members to form the infamous Ino-Shika-Cho formation."

"You have done your research…but that's pretty common knowledge."

"Before the Hyūga enter the Ninja Academy, we have already gone years of school by our own teachers. We study and learn about the many different clans in Konoha. We are taught the different styles of taijutsu that create our Gentle Fist. But that's where the Main Branch stops. The Branch Family of the Hyūga clan are brought up from birth as the guardians for the Main Branch. At an early age, we study the history of war and what it takes to win one."

Shikamaru looked at his opponent intrigued. "And what does it take?"

"Without sacrifice there is no victory."

Shikamaru looked down at the board and the words correlated with Neji's current situation. Neji's bishop was directly in front of his king, a simple move to give Shikamaru the edge in this close game. But he examined further. Neji's rook was on the opposite side of the board, waiting for the king to foolishly move to it's defeat. In Shikamaru's opinion, the bishop was a better piece than the rook. The bishop had the ability to move diagonally, allowing for better angles to attack. The rook in orthogonal direction, it's movement is straight forward and to the point.

"You'd sacrifice a bishop, the better piece, so that a rook could take the kill?"

Neji nodded. "No matter what…the Branch protects the Main."

Shikamaru wanted to dive deeper into this. "If the Branch protects the Main…then why'd you almost kill your cousin?"

Shikamaru knew he was going to strike a nerve with that question, but it was too good of an opportunity to pass up. This was a real chance to learn what made Neji's brain tick. He waited patiently as Neji seemed to be lost in his thoughts.

"…Have you ever believed in something greater than yourself, Shikamaru? You see, I used to believe that everything was predetermined by fate and nothing could be done to change that….then I met Naruto Uzumaki. He walks the fine line between light and dark, swaying with the wind. I saw in his eyes what keeps him whole…and it wasn't fate." Neji suddenly stood up from his seat and turned to leave. He stopped momentarily at the door. "I hope you learned what you desired." The Hyūga left.

Shikamaru sat there, lost in his thoughts.

 **-Hokage's Office-**

Jiraiya stood there with an impassive expression on his face. He had just finished examining Kakashi's Sharingan eye. After Tsunade informed him of the situation, he immediately wanted to see the damage for himself.

Tsunade, as well as Kakashi, was growing impatient. She hated when Jiraiya remained impassive like this, normally that spelt bad news. "Well? Can you do anything to release the jutsu?"

The Toad Sannin remained stoic for another moment before finally faltering. "…I've got nothing. It'd take me months to figure out the correct seals to release something like this. We'd be better off trying to find the Scroll of Seals."

"That's the problem, we don't know where it is." Tsunade sighed. "The only lead I've come up with is that dream I had…I'm not sure how much I trust it though."

"It's better than nothing, Tsunade. But what could sensei have been referring too? 'Protected by heroes'…not much comes to mind."

"Possibly the Hokage Stone Faces." Kakashi chimed in as he tied his forehead protector back on over his left eye. "The hiding possibilities are endless in the cravens behind them."

"That's true…but it'd take way too long to comb through it all. My gut feeling is Orochimaru will be back soon. If he's as desperate as you say, then he'll be back with more firepower."

"I couldn't agree more." Tsunade said. She turned to Kakashi. "Do you have any idea what's he after, Kakashi? Anything that might be a motive for his attacks…besides revenge?"

Kakashi recalled his brief encounter with the Sannin from the other day. "Nothing that stood out to me, Lady Tsunade. We already know that his target is Sasuke, but he passed up an opportunity to capture him before I arrived. Sasuke and Naruto were alone, and I have no doubt Orochimaru was watching their fight."

"Perhaps the Uchiha isn't his goal right now. He could be after something else." Jiraiya hypothesized.

"Orochimaru always has something up his sleeve. We'll have to be careful whenever he shows up again." Tsunade stated.

Both Kakashi and Jiraiya nodded in complete agreement, both knowing the gravity of the situation before them. Tsunade dismissed Kakashi and said she would call for him when something new developed but instructed him to be vigilante. The silvered haired jōnin left the office to go about his day.

The Copy Cat Ninja wandered the village as he read his favorite book, seemingly never getting tired of the story no matter how many times he had read it. But Kakashi wasn't reading it for pleasure this time, he was keeping up appearances for those around him. As of now, only Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Gai were aware of his injury, and he would like to keep it that way. The less people knew he wasn't himself the better.

Suddenly, something felt off in the air. An ominous feeling ran down Kakashi's spine that caused him to stop walking. He looked up from his book and scanned his surroundings, he noted nothing looked out of place. Then he looked up to the rooftops. And that's where he saw them, standing in the setting sun.

Four individuals; two of which Kakashi knew very well. The other two he did not. One was a man with two heads upon his body and the other had six arms attached to his body.

Kakashi glared with anger. "Orochimaru…!"

 **-With Naruto-**

The young blonde shinobi had just finished up his second daily training session and he was starving, a hunger that could only be satisfied by his love for ramen. Luckily, he had just enough change on him to get a bowl or two.

"Big Bro Naruto!"

The young teen in question stopped walking, knowing there was only one person who yelled that, and turned around to greet the young boy with a long blue scarf, who was followed by two other children of his age.

"What's up Konohamaru?" Naruto greeted as he knelt to the boy's level, extending his hand for a high-five, which the boy excitedly finished. "You doing good, buddy?"

Konohamaru nodded happily. "Yeah! Me, Udon, and Moegi were playing ninja! Of course, I was you and totally beat them!"

"You cheated, Konohamaru!" Moegi berated.

"I did not!"

"You totally cheated, Konohamaru. You never play fair when we play ninja, especially when you pretend to be Naruto." Udon said as he wiped the snot from his nose, which was replaced with more snot.

"Well, Big Bro is the best! He's the strongest! We all saw him kick ass in the Chūnin Exams, and he got promoted too! He's a total badass."

Naruto chuckled and smirked at the boy's flattery of him. Honestly, Naruto was just glad Konohamaru was in high spirits. The kid had a rough time when the Third Hokage died, seeing how that was his grandfather and all. It was a refreshing sight to Konohamaru so happy…it reminded Naruto of how he used to be before everything happened.

"But I'll stand with you one day, Big Bro!"

Moegi scoffed. "As if. Big Bro Naruto is league's ahead of you Konohamaru. You'll never reach him!"

"Yes, I will. Just you wait!"

Naruto looked on as the two children bickered. His mind wandered about the prospect of Konohamaru one day surpassing him. The idea seemed…nice. He felt like it would turn out to be a passing of the torch, a student surpassing their teacher. He briefly wondered if this was what Jiraiya felt like with him. But he dismissed that. He would never do anything to damage Konohamaru in any way. Naruto reached out and placed his hand on top of Konohamaru's brown hair, causing the boy to stop bickering and look at Naruto.

"I'll be waiting at the top for you, Konohamaru."

Konohamaru looked on in awe at Naruto's words, then a large smile burst onto his face. The fact his idol believed in him made him want to stand along Naruto just that much more.

"What a crock of shit…I'll bet the kid dies before his balls drop."

The new voice threw Naruto's protection instincts into overdrive. He hastily turned around and out himself between the three children and whoever was here. There were two people, one male one female. The man was tall and very large, he instantly thought this was Chōji's future appearance, the female had long, dark pink hair and carried what seemed to be a flute.

"Tayuya, why do have to say such things? He's just a kid." Jirōbō said.

"Shut up fatso. Stuff your face and be quiet, blondie's mine. Lord Orochimaru said he's no joke. I wanna see this kid's strength for myself."

"Orochimaru?!" Naruto gasped in shock.

"Isn't he the guy who killed my grandpa?" Konohamaru asked.

Naruto grit his teeth. "Yeah…where is he? Why are you here? And who are you?"

Tayuya smirked. "I'm Tayuya of the North Gate…the second strongest member of the Sound Four. Now, let's get started!"


	27. Chapter 27

Deep in the mountains of the Land of Earth laid a natural stronghold of a village known as Iwagakure. The people of Iwagakure were proud of their mountainous protection and their attitudes are known to be just as hard as the rock that surrounded them. Much of Iwagakure's infrastructure is built into the mountains and large rock formations that are shaped into tower-like structures that are connected by a network of bridges. This rock-hard of a village is led by a man know as the Third Tsuchikage.

"Lord Tsuchikage!" An Iwagakure shinobi yelled as he burst into his leader's office. He wore the standard shinobi outfit for Iwagakure: a red outfit with a single sleeve and brown flak jacket. He was a very large and imposing man with dark eyes and black hair under his bandanna-style forehead protector

The man in question was a very elderly, short man with a triangular beard, a moustache, and a big red nose. He was completely bald, although, he had long white hair on the lower-half of his head which was styled in a traditional chonmage haircut, the back of which tied with a yellow ribbon into a top knot. He wore a green and yellow coat with a red collar.

"Akatsuchi! What is the meaning of this? Why would you burst into my office like that?" The Third Tsuchikage questioned in a demanding tone.

Akatsuchi immediately knelt before his village leader, who was seated at his desk. "Forgive my intrusion, my lord, but this was something that could not wait. You need to see this. It involves our plans for Konoha."

That grabbed the Tsuchikage's attention. "Well, out with it then! I don't have all day."

Akatsuchi nodded and then reached into his back pouch. He pulled out a book, a bingo book. He flipped through several pages before reaching the desired one. He stood to his full height, which towered over the Tsuchikage and his desk, and placed the book on the desk. "Here."

The Kage took one look at the page and saw a picture of a young boy, maybe twelve or thirteen years old, with spiky blonde hair and three whisker marks on each of his cheeks, wearing a Konohagakure headband. He instantly became more irritated. "You burst into my office to show me a picture of a Konoha shinobi?"

"Reach the description, my lord."

The elderly man eyed his subordinate for a moment for complying. He then read the description.

 _Name: Naruto Uzumaki (Namikaze)_

 _Affiliation: Konohagakure no Sato_

 _Height: 5'3" Weight: 130 lbs. Age: 13 years old_

 _Rank: Chūnin_

 _Description: Naruto Uzumaki is the only son of Minato Namikaze, Konohagakure's Yellow Flash and Fourth Hokage, and Kushina Uzumaki, Konoha's Red-Hot Blooded Habanero. He is the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tailed Fox Bijū and has learned to wield some of it's chakra. From an early age, he had been raised and trained by the legendary Sannin, Jiraiya the Toad Sage (see Pg. 106 for description). He was the only student of his graduating class to score a perfect score on the graduating exam, despite rarely attending class. His arsenal of jutsu is vast for his young age, having already learned, at least, one technique of the basic chakra nature elements and is able to use the Kage Bushin no Jutsu and its variants without drawback due to his enormous chakra reserves. And to be thought as a side note, Uzumaki's shinobi file states he understands the complexities of fūinjutsu. Under the tutelage of Kakashi Hatake, (see Pg. 257 for description) his strength was utilized to help defeat former Demon of the Mist and rouge shinobi Zabuza Momochi and has also defeated Sunagakure's One-Tailed jinchūriki, Gaara of the Desert (see Pg. 398 for description) in a full-transformed state. Again, despite his young age, Uzumaki has accomplished much in his short career as a shinobi._ _Do_ _not_ _underestimate._

 _Known/Commonly Used Abilities: Kage Bushin no Jutsu, Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu, Bushin Daibakuha, Rasengan, Kuchiyose no Jutsu (Toads), Katon, Futon, and Doton techniques (number unknown), and limited use of the Kyūbi's chakra. (Be advised, earlier entry about learning a technique of every chakra nature may be false. Prepare as if true.)_

 _Threat Assessment: A-Rank, approach with caution. Jōnin and above are only allowed to engage. Be advised, Jiraiya the Toad Sage and Kakashi Hatake are known to be close to Uzumaki at all times. If engaged, prepare for a long fight._

 _Bounty: 30,000 Ryo (alive) 15,000 Ryo (dead)_

The Tsuchikage looked up from the bingo book entry with surprise filling his wrinkling features. "Is this accurate?" He questioned hastily.

Akatsuchi stood at attention. "Yes, my lord. This is the newest and most up to date version of the bingo book. It was just released this morning."

The Tsuchikage looked back at the open book and read the entry again, making sure his old eyes weren't playing tricks on him. The infamous Yellow Flash…the man who single-handedly decimated his forces during the Third Great Shinobi War…had a son. Minato Namikaze was the sole reason he surrendered…the man terrified the Tsuchikage to no end.

It pleased Ōnoki greatly when he heard the man died fighting the Nine-Tailed Fox all those years ago, that's when he began formulating a plan to take revenge on Konoha for all the lives lost. Lives that could've been saved if the Yellow Flash had been sent to the other front. Ōnoki hated Minato's very being but he respected Minato's strength and ability. Ōnoki used to wondered who was stronger between them. As a Kage, he never saw battle. But just before he surrendered, Konoha shinobi were close to breaking through their village defenses. A battle that would have certainly brought out the best in him.

But the most interesting portion of this boy's description wasn't that he was Minato's son but the jinchūriki of the very beast that killed his father. The sheer willpower and audacity to seal a bijū inside your son was something that breathed coldness and hatred. Minato probably wanted to make the boy's life hell, possibly due to the fact the boy's mother died in childbirth. But that certainly didn't sound like man Ōnoki feared. War does change men…even the honorable ones.

A large, sinister smile suddenly grew on the Tsuchikage's face. "Unbelievable…that bastard Yellow Flash has a son…"

Akatsuchi looked at his leader with weary eyes. "…Lord Ōnoki?"

Ōnoki snapped out his trance. "Akatsuchi, I have a task for you."

"My lord?"

"Send word to the Raikage about this development, hopefully he is already aware. And I want all ninja, chūnin and above, to study this entry on the Yellow Flash's brat. We will not allow him to go unnoticed when things kick off."

Akatsuchi nodded. "Consider it done! Is there anything else you'd like to be put in the message, my lord?"

"Tell the Raikage…we have a legacy to kill!"

 **-With Kakashi, Kikyo Castle-**

"So, I've been caught twice now…how annoying you are, Kakashi!"

Kakashi glared with anger in his eye at his enemies, who stood across the slanted castle roof. Although, he was naturally cautious about the situations he put himself in, Kakashi was severely hesitant about he would go about this battle. It would be a four-on-one, with two of them being individuals he had never seen before. Even with his Sharingan, he wouldn't feel as confident in a battle like this.

"Do you think we're that stupid to drop our guard so quick? You're through making trouble for-Ngh!" Kakashi couldn't finish his words because a searing pain burst in his Sharingan eye, causing him to grip the cloth hiding his eye and drop to a knee.

Kabuto smirked. "It appears the Gedo Mark is doing it's work well."

Sakon looked at the man slightly surprised. "The Gedo Mark? You used that on him? Who is this guy?"

"Kakashi Hatake…also known as the 'Copy Cat Ninja'." Kidōmaru informed. "But if Lord Orochimaru used the Gedo Mark on him, I don't think he'll be copying much of anything anymore."

Orochimaru smirked, despite dealing with his own searing pain in his arms. "Kakashi…do you want me to release the jutsu I cast on you?"

Kakashi looked up in shock. "What did you just say?"

Orochimaru painfully raised his arms to mid-level. "If these arms were healed…then I could release you from that pain." The three subordinates waited to see what their master's angle was for doing this. "Bring Tsunade here, that's all I need."

Kakashi realized what Orochimaru, it was so simple and painfully obvious that it had been staring at them all in the face. He should've been able to figure it out. "That's your play…you want the Hokage to heal your arms!"

Orochimaru sinisterly chuckled. "That's right…and this time I will not be denied! Tsunade will heal my arms and Konoha will finally fall!"

"You must be joking! Or insane, to think I'd go along with that."

Orochimaru dropped his arms. Kabuto couldn't tell if his master expected that answer or not. "You fool, Kakashi. Do you really think you can take us on in your condition? Or even protect that pack of brats you call a team? You're useless without your Sharingan."

Kakashi clenched his fist so tightly that his knuckles cracked from the pressure. He wanted to rip Orochimaru's throat out for even mentioning his students.

"Naruto, for example. The Akatsuki are after him. I really wonder how you'll fair against Itachi Uchiha in your condition. And as for Sasuke…well, once Tsunade heals my arms, he'll be my next objective."

"…Ngh…"

"You want to be there for them, right? Make sure nothing bad happens to them? Bring Tsunade here and I'll make you "Sharingan Kakashi" again so you can protect your students from any harm that might come to them."

Kakashi remained silent for a long time, seemingly weighing his options. "Unfortunately, you have a point. I do want to protect them…I want to train them until they can stand on their own, so I don't have to worry about them. But…" Kakashi rose to his feet, pushing through his debilitating pain. "I'm a Leaf Ninja before their teacher! No matter how painful it is for me, I'll never do what you ask!"

Orochimaru glared daggers through this man. It was infuriating that he wouldn't give in to the demands. Why did every single one of this damn Konoha shinobi have to be so stubborn? "I will deal with this Konoha slim myself! Do not interfere!"

Sakon and Kidōmaru glanced at each other, silently agreeing that they should follow through with their master's orders. Though, they both knew if Orochimaru ever came close to losing this battle, they'd jump in and save their master without fear of the consequences. Even Kabuto wouldn't allow Orochimaru to be defeated like that.

"You could've ended your suffering just by bringing Tsunade to me…if you won't do it then you are no use to me!"

Orochimaru made the first movement and charged at Kakashi in a slithering fashion. Kakashi prepared himself and dodged the Sannin's first strike, which was a strong kick aimed to his head. The two danced around the castle roof in a taijutsu battle, though it was clear Kakashi had a bit of an advantage over Orochimaru, who was without the use of arms. Kabuto simply stayed put and watched the two fight around him.

Orochimaru came in for another kick but Kakashi was able to absorb most of the impact and catch Orochimaru's leg between his arm and his body. Kakashi used the momentum to throw Orochimaru into one of the two large fish statues. The silver-haired jōnin went through a flurry of hand seals for jutsu he learned long before he received his Sharingan.

" _Futon: Shink_ _ū_ _ha!"_ (Wind Style: Vacuum Waves)

Kakashi inhaled a deep breath and released large blades of compressed waves of wind from his mouth, slicing through the statue. Once the dust settled, Orochimaru was nowhere in sight but Kakashi knew Orochimaru wouldn't be taken down so easily. He readied himself by drawing a kunai. Orochimaru burst out of the roof with Kusanagi in his mouth, ready to strike. Kakashi brought his knife up and blocked the swinging sword. The two fought for dominance.

"You will die here and now, Kakashi!" Orochimaru yelled.

"That's my line!" Kakashi yelled back in defiance as his right hand ignited with lightning. He thrusted the jutsu forward, aimed at Orochimaru's heart. _"Raikiri!"_

Just as the lightning was about to pierce through the Snake Sannin's skin, Kakashi's arm went numb and fell limp. The lightning disappeared just as fast as it appeared. Before Kakashi could figure out what had happened he was hit with a strong kick that sent him back across the roof into the other fish statue.

Orochimaru's sword retracted into his mouth before he spoke, trying to control his breathing. "Kabuto…I thought I said I would deal with him myself."

"You left me no choice, Lord Orochimaru." Kabuto stated simply as the green glow disappeared from around his hand. "He baited you in and almost got you with that lightning. But don't worry, I only cut off circulation to his arm and dislocated his shoulder. But I suggest you wrap this up quickly…your body-"

"Be quiet, Kabuto! I will finish him here and now!"

Kakashi fell out of the rubble and came to a knee, his right arm dangling with numbness. He could feel his shoulder joint poking against the skin on his back. With one swift, jerking motion, Kakashi popped the joint back into its socket. He was thankful he couldn't feel much of the pain at the moment, he had done that maneuver once before and wished he never had to do it again.

'This isn't good.' Kakashi thought to himself. 'I'm at a huge numbers disadvantage. There's no way I'll be able to beat all four of them one-on-one. And anytime I get a clear shot at killing blow, Kabuto will jump in and stop it. I either need to deal with the other three first or stall for backup…both scenarios do not end well for me.'

"Huff, huff…I must say, you do well for a man in your condition." Kakashi snarked, trying to play on the Sannin's frustration. His sly comment was quickly dealt with by a surge of pain in his left eye. "Ngh!"

Orochimaru chuckled through his breathing. "What's the matter, Kakashi? Are you in some pain?"

"…Not yet." Kakashi slowly rose to his feet, surprising both Orochimaru and Kabuto. "It's not over yet, Orochimaru!"

"Are you going to get up again?" Kabuto questioned in a monotone voice.

"You'll never defeat me like you are now. What can you do in your condition?"

"I'll protect…the Leaf!"

Orochimaru growled. "That again?!"

"I'd expect nothing else from my old rival!" Jumping in from an unknown location was Gai, Konoha's Blue Beast. He landed directly in front of Kakashi, ready to protect him from his two opponents.

"Gai…"

"You pushed yourself too far, Kakashi." Gai berated. "But you demonstrated your love for the village and showed me your Will of Fire. And now I'm itching to fight, too!" The green clad jōnin moved into his taijutsu stance. "From here on out, the noble savage Might Gai will be your opponent!"

Orochimaru glared at the man. "You always interrupt."

"Today will be your last, Orochimaru! I will see to that personally!"

Kabuto landed in front of his master in a protective stance. "I'm sorry to say…but you'll be fighting me instead." 'I have to stall long enough for Lord Orochimaru to regain some of his strength or else he won't be able to handle much more punishment.'

Gai hardened his stare. "Fine. I'll beat you then take down Orochimaru without a problem."

"Bold talk coming from the likes of you."

"The likes of me? Heh…We'll see about that!"

"Gai! Be careful." Kakashi spoke up. "This guy's good."

Gai smirked with fire in his eyes. "Interesting…then show me how good you are!"

Gai rushed in and began his assault of strictly taijutsu, Kabuto was quick to react and he countered, weaved through, and blocked most of the strikes. This impressed Gai, it was rare to find someone skilled enough to keep up with his movements. Deciding that he had been taking it easy, Gai put more strength behind his strikes. Kabuto noticed this and suddenly had a harder time countering the strikes, they were too rough to parry or misdirect. He tried to just block and hold out for an opening but the hits were heavy and were easily leaving bruises.

Kabuto was quickly becoming overwhelmed and needed to disengage before things turned bad for him. Waiting for the perfect moment, Kabuto's hand emitted a green glow and he met Gai's incoming fist with his open palm. Instantly, Gai felt his arm go numb. Kabuto used the distraction and jumped back.

"What did you just do?" Gai questioned, seemingly unaffected by the numbness.

Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "I sent a controlled shock through your arm to disable it…though, I'm seeing making your limb completely numb doesn't stop you."

"I used to punch trees until my fists were bloody and broken, having no feeling is a blessing to someone like me."

Kabuto cracked his neck. "Then it looks like I'm going to need a more lethal approach." He straightened his hands and chakra glowed around them, both coming to a point like a scalpel.

With his chakra scalpels, Kabuto charged and swung with precision. Gai dodged and weaved through the two chakra scalpels as best as he could, Kabuto was still able to cut him a few times. Gai caught one of Kabuto's arms and forcefully broke his forearm.

"AH!" Kabuto screamed from his broken bone. Gai was quick to separate by a strong kick that sent Kabuto tumbling backwards.

Gai took his taijutsu stance. "You're not bad!"

Kabuto grit his teeth. "…Impressive. You actually did some damage. However…" Kabuto placed his nonbroken hand over his broken forearm and emitted a emerald green glow. A moment later Kabuto was no longer in any pain. "It's pointless in the face of my medical ninjutsu."

"What?!"

"Kabuto! We need to leave!" Orochimaru called out, it seemed that he recovered some strength. He had moved back to the protection of Sakon and Kidōmaru.

Kabuto nodded and jumped back to his master. "I guess I stalled for enough time." The group of rouge shinobi jumped off the building and fled into the village below them.

"Get back here!"

"Gai, wait!" Kakashi called out. The green clad jōnin moved next to his downed rival.

"What is it, Kakashi?"

"We need to warn Lady Tsunade. She's the one he needs."

"Lady Hokage? What for?"

Kakashi forced himself to his feet. "Orochimaru wants the Hokage to heal his arms."

Gai's eyes widened in surprise. How had he not realized that sooner? "Lady Tsunade won't do that. How does Orochimaru plan to get Lady Tsunade to heal his arms?"

Kakashi shook his head. "I'm not sure, but I'm positive he has something up his sleeve. For now, we need to go inform her of the situation. Orochimaru will show up sooner or later."

Gai nodded. "Right!" The two jōnin took off for the Hokage's Mansion.

 **-With Naruto-**

Naruto moved to stand between Konohamaru and his friends and the two unknown newcomers. The girl with the dark pink hair mentioned Orochimaru and he could see the resemblance, they were both wearing the same style of purple belt that the Snake wore. If these guys were on Orochimaru's side, they needed to be dealt with. The blonde glanced over his shoulder. "Stay behind me you guys. I'll distract them and you guys run like hell, okay?" The three young kids nodded furiously. Once they were safe, he could break away and go warn the Hokage about was happening.

"How cute…" Tayuya commented. "but let's move past this crap and get to the part where I kick your trash-ass all over this village. I've been itching to fight for awhile now."

Drawing a kunai from his leg holster, Naruto jumped into the air to make the first strike. He came down with great striking speed, but Tayuya was able to dodge with relative ease. Naruto hacked and slashed but none of his attempts to cut his opponent connected. With a well-timed counter, Tayuya was able to knock the kunai out of Naruto's hand and land a strong punch straight across his face that staggered Naruto back.

Regaining his stance, Naruto analyzed what he noticed during their brief entangle. 'She may be a bit slender but she's no pushover. Her evasiveness is very graceful, she's probably trained a lot to react like that.'

Tayuya reached around her back and unsheathed her main weapon, a silver flute. She brought the flute up to her mouth. "I'll play a melody of death for you. _Mateki: Mugen Onsa!_ " (Demon Flute: Chains of Fantasia)

The sounds of the flute filled the area, even echoing to unsuspecting bystanders' roads and buildings over. Naruto tried to move but his limbs didn't respond to his commands, he realized sturdy ropes had bound himand the surroundings changed around him. He was in a dark red plain of nothingness.

Naruto growled. "This has to be genjutsu…" He needed to get out of this illusion quick, Konohamaru and his friends were left defenseless with him confused like this.

The flute sounded again, and Naruto felt his arms suddenly go numb, as if they disappeared. He looked and saw his arms melting away, bone and all. Naruto's eyes widened and he tried harder to break free, continuously thrashing and struggling.

"Naruto…"

Amid his thrashing to break himself free, a familiar voice sounded caused Naruto to stop and look in front of him. He looked up and saw Sakura before him…but she was far from what he expected. The pink-haired girl was covered from head to toe in blood and had severe lacerations that would be considered fatal, but she stood there as if nothing was wrong.

"Sakura…?"

The bloody pinkette tilted her head slightly. "You said you'd protect me…you promised to save me…"

Naruto's normally stoic and calm demeanor was nowhere to be seen, in place was a wide eyed, fear filled young boy. "I-I did promise! I don't break my promises!" He frantically stuttered. She was hurt and he could do nothing to help.

"Oh, but you did, Naruto. You broke your promise to me and let me die. I used to think everyone was wrong about you…but they were right…You _are_ a demon."

It was as if he could feel his very spirit and will break into pieces. Naruto's head lowered and his face disappeared into darkness…

Somewhere deep inside the boy's body, behind a massive red gate, a single red eye of a massive fox spirit opened. **"You still have a long way to go boy…"** A surge of red chakra came creeping out of the darkness behind the gate and began to shine. **"I will not allow a simple parlor trick beat you…we both know you're better than this."**

Tayuya quit playing her flute and breathed a sigh of satisfaction at her handy work. She could hear the screams of her victims from all around her, the sound of her flute had traveled quite far due to the closeness of the buildings and alleyways. Sound bouncing off objects was a great thing. But her main target gave her the most joy. Naruto had dropped to his knees and his eyes were void of all emotion, he just stared off into the distance past her. Whatever her jutsu showed him must have been something fierce. The three children ran off, she wasn't sure if she had trapped them or not.

Jirōbō crossed his arms. "Using your strongest genjutsu off the bat like that…"

Tayuya glared at her teammate. "For the love of everything that is holy shut the fuck up Jirōbō! Remember what Lord Orochimaru said, our mission was to deal with this kid before joining up with the others."

Screams of nearby villagers filled the air, it seemed they, too, were having vivid hallucinations. "It seems your sound traveled." Jirōbō pointed out.

Tayuya rolled her eyes. "Yes, that was the point fatso."

"But causing harm to the villagers weren't apart of our assignment."

"Our overall mission is to force that Hokage bitch to heal Lord Orochimaru's arms. How are we going to do that without some leverage? She'll break under the pressure and heal Lord Orochimaru's arms. Right now, everyone who heard the melody of my Demonic Flute is being forced to see their worst fear. The longer they are in my genjutsu, the worse it gets for them. Sooner or later, their minds will be lost to the insanity of their own mind."

Jirōbō didn't respond. He didn't agree with Tayuya attacking the villagers like that, he would've preferred to leave them out of it, but if it served Lord Orochimaru's will then he'd follow through with any order given to him. "How long do you think he'll last for his mind gives out?"

"Don't know, don't care. No amount of outside help will save-"

A low growl interrupted Tayuya's words as her and Jirōbō's attention was drawn back on the blonde chūnin. Naruto swayed back and forth as he slowly made it back to his feet, all the while keeping his face out of view from his opponents.

"What the hell? That's impossible! There's no way he should be able to move!" Tayuya shouted. She charged at Naruto with anger in her eyes. Nobody breaks her genjutsu!

Just as Tayuya was coming into striking range, Naruto swung the backhand of his fist and launched Tayuya into a nearby wall. Jirōbō was quick to react and charged in as well, attempting to catch the boy off guard. He reared back his fist and brought it forward, only for Naruto to effortlessly catch it. Continuously trying to hit this boy, Jirōbō used his free hand to try and strike. Again, Naruto simply caught the fist.

Jirōbō was using as much strength as he could muster but Naruto would not budge. That's when he felt the chakra that was emitting around the boy. 'What is this chakra?! It's nothing like before!' Slowly raising his head, Naruto's eyes revealed the scarlet irises and silted pupils of demon within him. "What the hell…?"

Digging his claw-like nails into Jirōbō's fist, Naruto cocked his head back and slammed his forehead against the bridge of Jirōbō's nose, forcing the large man back. He rushed in and landed several heavy hits on the Oto shinobi before he ducked out of the way of another strike from Tayuya. Before she could retreat to a safe distance, Naruto reached out and grabbed ahold of her long hair and pulled her back in for a strong punch directly on her spine.

Tayuya pushed herself off the ground, trying to deal with the discomfort of her spine. "Fucking little brat. You'll pay for that!"

"Tayuya wait!" Jirōbō called out. "The kid's changed, something isn't right."

Tayuya grumbled but held her insults in, Jirōbō was right. Whatever was happening to Naruto right now was strong enough to snap him out of her genjutsu, her _strongest_ genjutsu. If he was able to break out of her _Mugen Onsa_ then she'll probably have to bring in her doki to take of this brat. But she didn't want to resort to summoning them just yet. As much as she hated Jirōbō and how he was easily the weakest on the team, the two of them together will be enough to take down Naruto. "Yeah. We should go level one just to make sure he stays down for good."

Jirōbō nodded in understanding and focused his chakra, Tayuya did the same. A chain of black triangle-like markings began to spread out of Jirōbō's neck/shoulder area, the markings spread themselves all over his face and most of his body. Likewise, Tayuya had straight lines spreading out in a jagged, zigzag pattern come out from a black mark on the back of her neck, where the neck and spine connected.

Naruto's anger filled eyes widened slightly. "Those are…"

Tayuya smirked. "That's right. The Curse Mark…given to us by Lord Orochimaru himself."

"We are Lord Orochimaru's best soldiers. When he needs something done, we are the ones he calls."

"His best soldiers?" Naruto questioned with a growl. "Is that why he gave Sasuke that mark? To make him his soldier?"

"That's not entirely wrong, but it is correct from a certain point of view." Tayuya stated with an open-ended explanation.

"A certain point of view? What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Tayuya continued to smirk. "Not my place to say. Lord Orochimaru has plans for the Uchiha."

"I'll never let that Snake bastard get anywhere near Sasuke!" Naruto screamed as he took a fighting stance.

Both Jirōbō and Tayuya let out scoff at the boy's declaration. It was outrageous for him to think he could do anything to hinder their master's plan. Orochimaru was Sannin, who was feared by nations, while this was some kid with a little talent, there was nothing he could do to stop them.

Tayuya began to move towards her opponent. "Like you have much of a cho-"

" _Nikudan Sensha!"_ (Human Bullet Tank)

A massive ball came flying in like a bullet, true to it's name, and hit Tayuya with great force, launching the woman through several buildings and walls. Jirōbō stuck his hands out and caught the massive ball, trying to slow its progress while it continued to spin. But Jirōbō's strength proved to be too much and misdirected the ball away. The ball suddenly stopped its rotation and revealed to be Chōji, he had expanded his entire body into the shape of a large ball with his _Baika no Jutsu_. (Expansion Jutsu)

The large boy landed next to Naruto with a thud. "You looked like you could use a bit of help, Naruto."

Naruto kept his eyes hidden until they returned to their normal blue color, but his emotions had not changed. "I don't need help. I was doing perfectly fine until you showed up. Besides, if I wanted help, I wouldn't have asked for yours." Chōji's eyes dropped. "But since you're here now, I will take the assistance. We need to take care of this guy quick so we can go warn Baa-chan about what's going on."

"Gee…thanks." Chōji muttered under his breath, but Naruto still heard him.

"Don't start pouting now, the village is under attack by Orochimaru again."

That snapped Chōji out of his thoughts. "Orochimaru?! The guy who killed the Third Hokage?"

Naruto nodded. "Yeah…"

"What does he have against the village? Man, I hate fighting like this."

"Get used to it. We are ninja…it's our job. Fighting is kinda what we do."

'Get used to it'…yeah, that was helpful. Brute honesty at its finest. Chōji had forgotten how blunt and direct Naruto could be, or to quote Kiba: Naruto's an asshole. He was rarely ever in class back in the academy and seemed to only show up when he felt like it. But through all that, Chōji thought Naruto wasn't the worst guy around. He seemed to have built a nice relationship with his team, especially with Sakura from what he saw, and had some type of heart, he proved that when he injured Akamaru during his fight with Kiba and brought the dog to Kiba's teammates to make sure Akamaru wouldn't get hurt further.

But fighting was their main job as ninja? Chōji didn't really agree with that. He felt his duty was to protect Konoha and his friends from people that wanted to hurt them, if it led to fighting then let it be so. Chōji recalled what he felt when Konoha was invaded by Orochimaru the first time, if this was what war felt like.

'Shikamaru…'

Jirōbō examined his situation. 'Two-on-one…a fair fight for once. The fat one is strong physically but looks about it, no better than trash. But the blonde will be the real trouble…he's something else. Take him out of the picture and-'

"I'll take him."

Jirōbō burst out laughing at Chōji's determined words and Naruto turned his head with a cocked eyebrow. "What?"

"Go on ahead, Naruto. This guy is mine."

Jirōbō continued to laugh. "You want to take me on alone?! You're as stupid as you are fat! I'll kill you before land a single punch!"

Naruto saw the visible agitation on Chōji's from the weight insult, it must be a trigger word for him. But Naruto looked past that agitation and saw a determination that he never saw in the Akimichi boy before. "Are you sure, Chōji?"

Reaching into his back pouch, Chōji pulled out a small container with three different colored pills: one green, one yellow, one red. "I need to prove to you, Asuma sensei, Shikamaru, and everyone else that I'm not weakest one out of us all. That someone like me can become strong and protect others. I'll buy you time to get out of here and I'll beat him."

Naruto looked at the three different colored pills in Chōji's hand. 'Those look like soldier pills…but not like any I've seen. He must have some type of plan.' He nodded in understanding. "Alright…good luck. If I see anybody, I'll send them your way."

Chōji nodded. "Thanks, but I'll be okay."

Seeing that his mind was made up, Naruto jumped back and headed off in a different direction towards the Hokage Mansion. Just as Naruto made his getaway, Chōji opened the container and took out the green pill…

Naruto sprinted through the village, jumping over buildings and dashing through open windows as he made his way towards the Hokage's Tower. He took note of the village's status, it seemed mostly intact and unaware of what was really happening. How could he be the only one tracking what was going on? Where were all the jōnin? The freaking ANBU? That didn't matter right now. What mattered was getting to Tsunade and telling her what was going on. Then every ninja in the village would know what's happening.

 **-With Tsunade and Shizune-**

"How long do you think it'll take Lord Jiraiya to search the catacombs behind the Hokage Stone Faces?" Shizune questioned as she and her master looked up at the man-made rock formation.

Tsunade shrugged. "I'm not really sure. In all honesty, I'd like to get a Hyūga or two to come use their Byakugan to search in the catacombs. But Kakashi wanted to keep this private."

Shizune thought that was a mighty fine idea. "We wouldn't have to tell them the reason. We just need the scroll."

Tsunade shook her head. "Hyūga's are more preceptive than that. It wouldn't be hard for whoever they'd send to figure out something was up. And since I'd be the one requesting help, they'd probably send someone high up. Hell, Hiashi might've come himself to make a good impression on me."

Shizune sighed. "Understood, Lady Tsunade. Speaking of impressions, a few more gifts came in from some of the village clan leaders. I sent them to your personal quarters."

Tsunade lost track of how many gifts she had received from Konoha's many clans for her inauguration as the Fifth Hokage. The gifts ranged from weapons to simple baskets of trinkets. Some of the more noble clans tried to sweeten her up by gifting her bottles of exotic sake or offering to pay her gambling debts in neighboring villages. As the new Hokage, she couldn't say no to the gifts, as much as she wanted to. But it was nice to be showered with gifts like that.

"Thank you, Shizune." The Sannin turned Kage looked out over her village and let out a sigh, the setting sun was quite beautiful. "You can head home, Shizune."

"What about you, m'lady?"

"I'm going to watch the sunset then catch up on some paperwork before turning in for the night."

Shizune was a bit skeptical about her master. She was worried that Tsunade might cease the opportunity to sneak out and go get a couple drinks in at a local bar. But the prospect of going home and relaxing for the evening sounded quite nice. It had been a whirlwind of events in recent weeks and Shizune hadn't stopped to really process everything that had happened. She simply followed her master without question. And would continue to do so. "Very well, m'lady. I'll see you in the morning then."

"Good night, Shizune." Tsunade watched her assistant walk down the Tower walkway and out of view.

"I suggest you study that sunset, Tsunade…you might not see another one again."

Tsunade gasped when she heard the all too familiar voice. She spun on her heel to see the very man that had been causing Konohagakure so much trouble in the past few months. Standing across the roof was none other than Orochimaru and his favorite subordinate, Kabuto. However, there were two that Tsunade had never seen or heard of before. One had two head, the one hanging loosely on his back, and the other had six arms, like a spider.

"Orochimaru…"

The Snake Sannin maliciously chuckled at his former teammate's harsh tone. "It has been a long time, Tsunade. I see your still keeping up the ruse about your appearance...I've always admired that about you."

Tsunade's eyes narrowed. "Why's that?" She was genuinely curious about this.

"Your unique transformation technique is just your way to deal with your own mortality. Me, however, deal my mortality by searching for new ways to cement my soul into this world for eternity, becoming immortal."

"You want to become immortal? That's asinine. Why on earth would you want to do that?"

"The thirst for knowledge is never ending, Tsunade. I want to know the secrets of this world and help shape it into what it should be."

"Basically, you want to rule the world…how original." That shtick was getting old.

Orochimaru licked his lips with his elongated, snake-like tongue. "Not necessarily. I'm not one to be a dictator. I'd end up killing everyone because I got annoyed. No, I just want to be all knowing…be the Second Coming...the second God."

The Second Coming? God? What on earth could that mean? "If you want to do all that then why bother with Konoha? Threatening this village will do nothing to further your goals."

"On the contrary, my dear Tsunade, I cannot achieve any of my goals until I get what I need from Konoha."

Tsunade's fist tightened. "And what do you need?"

Orochimaru groaned in pain as he brought his bandaged arms to eye level. "Our blasted teacher, Sarutobi sensei, sealed away my arms in his final moments, leaving me unable to use any jutsu until they are healed. And there is no one better on this plant at medical ninjutsu than you, Tsunade."

Tsunade's eyes widened in surprise at the revelation. It was obvious to her now. "You want me to heal your arms and you the ability to use jutsu again? You really are crazy, Orochimaru, if you think I'd heal you just like that. I'd be creating more problems for Konoha if you could return to full strength."

Orochimaru's arms dropped and hung loosely at his sides. "I knew you'd deny my request at first. But you'll bend to my demands one way or another. That's why I brought in the Sound Four, my best soldiers. They will wreak havoc on this wretched village until I order them to stop. I will only order them to stop when you heal my arms."

Assuming Kabuto was not apart of this 'Sound Four', the two behind Orochimaru were two of the group's members. Tsunade figured the other two were already in the village somewhere, already attacking or waiting for the order. Either way, she trusted her many capable shinobi to deal with this threat. "And if I don't heal your arms and your soldier are beaten, what will you do then?"

Before Orochimaru could give his answer, Naruto landed in the middle of the rooftop. "Baa-chan! The village is in trouble! Orochimaru's back!" Naruto shouted.

Tsunade was unaffected by her godson's sudden entrance, her attention was too focused on something behind him. "Yeah…I know."

Naruto was about to question how she knew but that's when the icy, chilling voice of the Snake Sannin entered his ears.

"Long time no see…Naruto." Kabuto quipped.

A low, animalistic noise growled out of Naruto's throat as he turned around to face the man. Orochimaru stood there, with arms bandaged to the fingertip, with Kabuto at his side, ready to obey, and two others standing behind him, ready to kill at a moment's notice.

"Hm. It seems Tayuya and Jirōbō didn't do their job." Sakon pointed out. "As usual, I'll have to clean their mess."

"But if this kid was able to get past those two…then I guess you weren't lying about his abilities, Lord Orochimaru." Kidōmaru stated.

Orochimaru chuckled maliciously. "This actually works out. I was kind of hoping young Naruto here would show up. This will make everything so much easier…not to mention fun."

Naruto narrowed his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"Naruto! Get behind me!" Tsunade shouted. She didn't like where this was going.

"Kabuto…don't you think we've had enough of Naruto here?"

Kabuto looked at his master with a bit of confusion. "You're not telling me to use _that_? As I've said before, your body-"

"Don't contradict me, Kabuto. Just do as I say."

Kabuto sighed, this wasn't a good idea. If he used this jutsu again, the ramifications on Orochimaru's body would worsen greatly. He wasn't sure if he could do anything for him anymore. But orders were orders. He began executing a series of hand seals. "Forbidden Jutsu: Gedō Mark: Confusion!"

A quick zap of energy hit Naruto like a bolt of lightning, as if something entered his body. He grabbed his head in great pain. Likewise, Orochimaru dropped to his knee from the sudden loss of energy.

"Ngh!"

"Ah! My…My head!"

"You scum!" Tsunade shouted with fury.

Sakon looked on curiously. "What's wrong with him?"

Kidōmaru smirked, already knowing the affects of the jutsu. "Lord Orochimaru just made that kid his puppet."

Orochimaru smiled sinisterly through his pain. "Indeed."

"The Gedō Mark: Confusion jutsu causes blinding pain to the victim's head and turns his body into helpless tool for the jutsu's caster."

"You'll pay for that!" Tsunade shouted once more as she charged her enemies.

Both Sakon and Kidōmaru jumped forward and shielded their master from the Hokage. But that proved to do little. Tsunade came in fast and full of fury. Kidōmaru tried to land a punch with one of his many arms but simply couldn't, the woman was too fast. He was grabbed by the collar and launched with great strength off the rooftop. Sakon tried to do the same but the results were the same. He jumped over the enraged Sannin to try a rear approach. But Tsunade was waiting for the man and, with a single flick of her finger, sent Sakon packing into the village.

Kabuto looked on amazed. 'Such strength with a ferocious temper…must be single.'

"That chakra enhanced strength is always a joy to watch." Orochimaru chuckled.

"Release Naruto now!"

"Now, now, Tsunade, you should calm yourself before doing something you'll regret. If you kill me now, then your precious Naruto will never be release from the jutsu…not to mention Kakashi as well. Kabuto…why not show Tsunade firsthand what my jutsu does to a person?"

Kabuto smirked. "With pleasure." With a single hand seal, a signal was sent into Naruto's brain that increased his pain. "Attack!"

"AHHH!" Naruto screamed in pain as he charged his godmother.

"Stop Naruto!" Tsunade pleaded as she dodged Naruto's wild strikes. She didn't want to hurt him, but she was afraid she didn't have a choice. Once an opening presented itself, Tsunade pushed Naruto away with little effort. She rushed over and quickly placed her hand on his chest, trying to knock him out.

Naruto groaned and continued to grab the sides of his head. There was no effect from Tsunade's attempt to subdue him. He pushed against Tsunade's hand and pushed her back with force.

"What?!" Tsunade gasped.

"You can try to subdue him all you want but it won't work." Kabuto stated. "Those controlled by the Gedō Mark: Confusion feel no pain. He'll continue to obey my commands as long as the jutsu stays in effect. No matter much damage he takes, he'll keep getting up."

"No way…"

Orochimaru chuckled. "You're no longer needed here, my dear Naruto. You're more useful somewhere else."

"Somewhere else? You're not going to send him out into the village…!?"

"Kabuto…"

"Heh heh heh…Go on, Naruto. Let yourself go crazy." Kabuto held the same seal. "Destroy the village!"

With another surge of pain to his head, Naruto screamed as he jumped off the Hokage Tower.

"Naruto!"


	28. Chapter 28

"Naruto!"

Tsunade's scream for her godson to snap of out Orochimaru's control fell on deaf ears as the blonde boy disappeared from her sight. She turned back towards the man that put Naruto under his horrible spell, determined to make him pay for this act.

"You'll pay for that, you bastard!"

The Snake Sannin cackled sinisterly. "Please Tsunade, enough of the harsh words. There's no need. What's done is done."

"Release him now! I'm not going to ask you again!"

It was Kabuto that spoke next. "I'm afraid I can't do that right now."

"Why not?!"

"Hm…because I don't want to."

Tsunade's rage was quickly reaching its boiling point. "You're a bastard…! How could you do something like this to Naruto? Making him attack his comrades will only make everything worse for him!"

"You say that like I'm supposed to care about the village's opinion of the fox boy." Orochimaru quipped. "So long as my arms are healed then I don't care what happens to him or the village."

Tsunade was barely keeping her composure. But she needed to. If she snapped and killed Orochimaru then Naruto would continue to be under his control until she could figure out how to snap him out of the spell. And that wasn't very likely due to the fact she had no idea where the release jutsu was hidden. "Is that supposed to be a bargain for me? I heal your arms and you free Naruto from your jutsu?"

Orochimaru smiled. "It can be. So simple, no? If you truly love your village…you will heal my arms."

Tsunade narrowed her eyes. "And if I refuse?"

"Then it won't be just Naruto I cast Confusion on." Kabuto stated. "I'll take more ninja away from you and make them fight their comrades. It'll become a civil war."

Tsunade surveyed her options carefully, she felt like she was stuck between a rock and a hard place with this decision. She was the Hokage and had to put the village first no matter what. But she couldn't forsake Naruto's wellbeing on the chance of Orochimaru not holding up his end of the deal, in fact she was almost certain that he wouldn't. But what was more important, Naruto's health or Konoha's safety? "Curse you…"

"Well…I'm waiting…" Orochimaru impatiently called out. Just as he was about to lose his temper completely, his arms pulsed with extreme pain. "Aaugghhhh! My…my arms!"

"Lord Orochimaru!" Kabuto yelled as he caught his master before he collapsed to the ground. 'Damn it! He won't last much longer!'

"This is my chance!" Tsunade prepared herself to fight.

Realizing they were at a huge disadvantage; Kabuto decided a tactical retreat was in order. With a single hand seal, Kabuto and Orochimaru disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

Tsunade looked on in shock. "What?! They got away?"

"Lady Tsunade!"

The Hokage turned to see Kakashi and Gai landing on the platform that was the Hokage's Mansion roof, she noted that Gai was practically carrying Kakashi. It was Gai that had called out to her.

"Are you two alright?" Tsunade questioned as she approached the two. She did a quick examination of the two. "Well, one of you is, at least." She placed her hands on Kakashi's left eye and did what she could to alleviate his pain. "There…you should feel a bit better now."

"Thank you, Lady Tsunade." The silver-haired jōnin was able to stand on his own again. "Orochimaru's back. He, Kabuto, and two others are inside the village. He said he wants you to heal his arms or else Konoha will burn."

Tsunade looked out over the village, already seeing a battle had begun. "I know. He was just here a few moments ago."

"He was?!" Gai questioned. "Then I'll go after him, he shouldn't have gone too far!"

"Gai wait! We have another problem we need to handle."

The two jōnin looked at their newly appointed Hokage in confusion. Kakashi was the one to question what she was referring to. "What's that?"

"Remembered what I said about the Gedō Mark and how it puts the two powers of 'seal' and 'confusion' into one jutsu?" Kakashi nodded at the memory. "Well…he used 'confusion' on Naruto…made him a puppet."

Both jōnin's eyes widened in shock. "What does 'confusion' do?" Gai questioned.

Kakashi had already seen where the Hokage was going with this. "By the way you said puppet…Orochimaru has control over Naruto now? Am I right?" The nod of confirmation was slow. Kakashi sighed. "Damn it…"

"Are there others being controlled?" Gai questioned.

Tsunade shook her head. "I'm not sure, but I can imagine Orochimaru will try and take more. He even said that he would."

"Then we need to find him and stop him before things get worse than they already are." Gai stated.

Kakashi turned to his longtime rival. "Gai, we both know that we aren't a match for Orochimaru, even now in his current state. Only Lady Tsunade and Lord Jiraiya have the power to defeat him. Speaking of which, where is Lord Jiraiya?"

Tsunade looked up towards the Hokage Stone faces. "He's been searching the catacombs for the Scroll of Seals. He must be in there pretty deep."

An explosion from inside the village echoed all the way up to the three on the roof, snapping them back into the situation. Tsunade was the first to take charge. "We don't have time to wait on Jiraiya. Kakashi, Gai, you two go out into the village and find Naruto. Stop him doing any damage. Be careful, the Gedō Mark: Confusion causes him extreme internal pain, any physical pain you cause him to subdue him won't matter. The amount of pain he's in already is much worse."

The two jōnin nodded. "What will you do, Lady Tsunade?"

"I'm going to find that snake bastard and put an end to this madness once and for all! I am the Fifth Hokage! I will not allow my village to be forsaken any longer!"

 **-With Kabuto and Orochimaru-**

The pair of rouge shinobi fled off the Hokage's Tower and used the buildings to aid in their escape. Kabuto was sure Tsunade wouldn't blindly follow them while her village was in peril, but he didn't want to risk it. They continued their escape until they reached the watch tower of Chūnin Exams Stadium, the same place the Third Hokage sealed Orochimaru's arms away.

"That stupid old bitch!" Orochimaru huffed, trying to deal with his pain. "So, she intends to defy me to the very end, eh? She'll pay for this with Konoha burnt to ash!"

"Lord Orochimaru, you need to regain your strength." The silver haired teen approached his master and placed his hand on the man's chest. Kabuto focused his chakra and begin to flood Orochimaru's system with as much healing ninjutsu he could. There was nothing Kabuto could do to completely free his master from his pain, he could only just alleviate for a few moments. "There…that should be enough for now. But you're running a great risk, your body can't handle the stress much longer. If Tsunade doesn't heal your arms soon…"

"Huff, huff…if she intends to defy me, then we'll just have to turn the village against her."

Kabuto looked at his master with a stern but curious look on his face. "What are you saying, Lord Orochimaru?"

"Kabuto…go into the village and use the Gedo Mark as you wish. Turn Konoha into a battlefield of their own shinobi."

Kabuto stood from his knees in shock. "Lord Orochimaru! I…I know I don't have to be directly next to you to activate the jutsu…"

"Correct…so long as you stay inside the village's walls, you'll stay in range to use my chakra as a medium."

"But your chakra system isn't stable enough to withstand constant use. Your body will grow weaker and weaker until too much damage has been done. Your very life could be put at risk!"

Orochimaru sinisterly smiled through his gritting pain. "Need I remind you? I cannot be picky about my methods…I will endure the pain until my arms are healed! Besides…my body will hold out, there's no need to worry."

"Lord Orochimaru…" Kabuto was in awe from fascination of his master. 'The strength of his will is unbelievable. To endure all this punishment…it's more then I'd be able to handle.'

"Now go, Kabuto…I'm counting on you."

The silver-haired medic nodded his head. "What about the Sound Four? Do you want me to rally them for a coordinated assault?"

Orochimaru slightly shook his head. "Don't bother…those four were distractions so we could work discreetly in the shadows. I have no expectations of them surviving this."

Kabuto looked out over the village from his vantage point. He was able to see some damage being done: buildings were hit, villagers were running from fights, and smoke from battles trailed into the sky. It seemed the four, and Naruto by extension, were doing their jobs. But it wouldn't be long before the shinobi of Konoha would turn on the offensive to neutralize the threat. Their window of opportunity for the mayhem they needed to create was small.

"Very well. Stay hidden, Lord Orochimaru." With the parting words, Kabuto jumped off the watch tower and into the village.

 **-Chōji vs. Jirōbō-**

The battle had already begun, the two human juggernauts of their respective groups struggled for dominance in a fight of strength. Jirōbō had withstood Chōji's attack and tried to overpower him, but Chōji wasn't moving an inch. In fact, the Akimichi boy was matching Jirōbō's vast strength.

"This is impossible!" Jirōbō screamed, the veins popping out of his forehead from the pressure. "How can you withstand strength?! What was that pill you took?!"

With a loud scream of his own, Chōji dug his heels into the ground and vaulted Jirōbō over him and tossed him into a nearby building. He pushed through the pain of eating the first pill and continued his assault. He pulled out a series of kunai connected by strings of wire and wrapped them around his frame. He then slammed his hands together and, using the _Baika no Jutsu_ , his entire body expanded into a large ball, the interconnected kunais were now spikes.

" _Nikudan Hari Sensha!"_ (Spiky Human Bullet)

Seeing the now massive human tank rolling towards him with great speed, Jirōbō slammed his hands on the ground and a wall of rock came up to shield him from the attack. But the wall didn't do much to slow Chōji down. The humanoid rolling spiked boulder broke through the rock wall and smashed it to pieces. Allowing his curse mark to return, Jirōbō remained and caught the boy with sheer strength alone.

Chōji could see the murder in Jirōbō's eyes. "Don't be so confident, trash!" With a single strike, Jirōbō slammed his crushing fist into Chōji and launched him back. The shock from the crushing fist caused Chōji's transformation to disappear and the wire holding the kunai together to break.

"You're not a horrible fighter, I'll give you that much. But I can see it in your eyes, your confidence about winning this fight is very low. And that shit you spouted about how you needed to prove yourself to everyone that you aren't the weakest…well, it shows how weak you are."

Chōji's eyes dropped from the harsh words, his already shaken confidence faltered even more. 'No matter how much I work behind the scenes…I'll always be…' The words of Asuma, Ino, and Naruto ran through his mind.

" _If we were to fight, you'd probably beat me."_

Shikamaru's words echoed through Chōji's mind. Something changed inside Chōji, giving the confidence boost he needed. He snapped open the container again and grabbed the next pill: yellow. 'Shikamaru's always believed in me…always believed that I was strong.' With a loud crunch, Chōji chomped on the yellow pill.

A large burst of energy surged through Chōji. "That's why I'm here! That's why I'm going to win!"

"That's quite a bit of chakra…still not enough to beat me!"

"Let's go, fat ass!" Chōji reared his arm back.

Jirōbō charged. "That fits you better!"

" _Budun Baika no Jutsu!"_ (Partial Expansion Jutsu)

Chōji's entire arm, all the way down to his fingertips, expanded to a much bigger size. He brought the large arm up and slammed his enlarged hand down on the charging Jirōbō. The force was so great it pushed the Oto shinobi into the ground itself.

Becoming annoyed, Jirōbō summoned his great strength and threw Chōji up into the air. The Akimichi took advantage and saw his opportunity to deal a decisive blow. He made the needed hand seals as he began to fall back to the ground.

"Eat this! _Ch_ _ō_ _Baika no Jutsu!"_ (Super Expansion Jutsu)

This was the heightened version of the Akimichi clan's expansion jutsu arsenal. Chōji's entire body became significantly larger, his size was now comparable that of the Hokage Mountain. Chōji was sure he had won. The sheer weight alone would crush any one person. But then he felt something push against his stomach and he felt like he was being lifted off the ground.

"What a pity…I was forced to use level two on such trash." Jirōbō thrusted his free hand upwards. _"Shou Geki Shou!"_ (Rising Impact Palm)

An ungodly amount of force hit Chōji in his stomach and launched his mountain-like body into the air. The sudden impact was enough to shrink Chōji's back to his normal state as he fell. He pushed himself up and saw what Jirōbō had become.

Jirōbō's triple orange mohawk grew into a long, spiky mane that reached his shoulders. His skin had turned to a brownish-reddish color. His irises became yellow and his pupils turned black. And warts had sprouted all over his body, especially on his face, forehead, and shoulders. "This is the end for you…no one stands a against my Curse Mark Level Two which gives me ten times my normal strength."

Chōji looked on in complete shock. 'Wha…What is that form?!' He tried to move but the pain was too much. 'Man…I can't move with this much pain. I should've known that the side-effects of using the pills would be bad. Still I have the red-pepper pill to take. But if I use that then…I'll definitely die…'

Jirōbō casually walked up to the downed Chōji and fiercely grabbed his neck, raising him to eye level and off the ground. Jirōbō's grip on Chōji's neck was so strong that blood fell out the corners of Chōji's mouth. "You've reached your limit; I can barely feel any chakra in your system. If I leave you here, you'll probably end up dying from your injuries. But I want to kill you for making me go 'level two'. Don't worry, I'll make it quick then move on to your friends and kill them…you worthless fat ass!"

Memories flashed through Chōji's mind of all the years being called 'useless' or 'fat' by his peers. He could remember countless times as a young kid being excluded from playing 'ninja' because was too fat or just plain useless. But through all that came Shikamaru, his best friend, the one person who didn't see him as some fat and unathletic piece but a human being with a kind heart and showed him a nice relaxing time watching clouds and eating chips.

'Sorry Shikamaru…I don't think I'm gonna make it out of this one.' Chōji snapped open the container one more time, grabbed the red pill, and placed it in his mouth. 'But I'll take this asshole with me!'

"Too late! _Asshou!_ " (Pressure Palm)

Just as Jirōbō was about to squeeze this kid's neck, Chōji grabbed ahold of Jirōbō's wrist with such strength that Jirōbō couldn't hold a grip anymore. Two massive blue butterfly wings made of chakra appeared on Chōji's back. Jirōbō also noticed that Chōji looked significantly skinnier than he did a few moments ago, as if he turned his weight and body fat into chakra.

"I'm a hundred times as powerful as you now! You're finished!" Chōji said as the butterfly wings disappeared, and his left hand began to emit the same kind of chakra. 'Transfer all my chakra into my left hand for the final blow!'

Jirōbō saw this and tried to break free from Chōji's iron grip on his wrist, but there was no breaking out. 'This isn't good!' "W-Wait…!"

"I can't forgive you for calling me fat ass! But even more than that, I'll never forgive you for saying you'll hurt my friends!"

"P-Please!"

" _Ch_ _ō_ _dan Bakugeki!"_ (Butterfly Bomb)

With the force of his entire weight and every once of his powered-up chakra, Chōji struck Jirōbō with one final punch square in the chest…and ripped right through. His fist came out clear through the other side, the blood steaming off like cold water on a hot pan. The red-brown faded away from Jirōbō's skin as he fell back to the ground like a lifeless husk.

Chōji fell to his backside, sub-coming to the pain of the pills he ate. He didn't have the strength to stand anymore, he barely had the strength to keep his eyes open. He looked up to the sky and shed a single tear. 'Shikamaru…good luck.'

Chōji fell back and his eyes closed…

 **-Konoha Village Center, Main Street-**

A shopkeeper sighed as he flipped through another page of his magazine, trying to pass the time of another slow day. He had already done everything that needed to be done for closing up the store: the floors were swept and mopped, the money in the register had been counted and stored in the safe, and all the products on the shelves had been restocked. All that needed to be done was wait for the closing time, which was in a few minutes.

The shopkeeper looked at the clock on the wall and decided there was no point in keeping the doors unlocked, nobody was going to come in at this time of day. With a click of the lock, the shopkeeper locked up his store for the night. Just as he turned his back, a body came crashing through the door and shattered it to pieces.

The shopkeeper yelped as he jumped for cover behind the counter. He peered over the counter to see what had come crashing into his store: it was a young boy, maybe thirteen years old, with spiky blonde hair and a Konoha shinobi flak jacket over his orange and blue jacket. Another Konoha ninja came in and landed on top of the boy, as if he was trying to restrain him.

"Calm down Naruto!" The shinobi yelled. It was one of the more well-known chūnin, Izumo Kamizuki. Izumo had the duty of checking travelers' I. D's and papers before entering the village. "What's gotten into you?!"

Naruto thrashed under Izumo's weight, trying to break free. "Ngh…! Can't…control…!" The pain from the Confusion was so vast and extreme that he could barely from a string of words together. "Get…off!" With great force, Naruto was able to throw Izumo off him and into one of the shelves.

Once freed, Naruto immediately grabbed the sides of his head and continued to endure the horrible pain. He couldn't control any of his movements nor have any chance at stopping himself, all he could do was try and tell everyone to get away from him. He staggered back outside to see group of Konoha shinobi waiting for him.

"What's going on with him?" One of the shinobis questioned. "He's never acted out like this before."

"Could it be the Kyūbi?" Another one asked with a hint of fear in her voice. "The fox could be trying to break free!"

"I don't sense any of the fox's chakra." A jōnin stated. "But none of that matters. He's attacking us and innocent civilians, the boy needs to be dealt with."

Naruto pulsated in pain, trying to regain control over his body. He aggressively hit his own head with both hands, trying to do anything to free himself of this pain. "Get…away! Can't s…stop!"

"This is our chance!" A chūnin shouted. The rest of the shinobi agreed and charged the enraged Naruto.

Another zap of pain dropped the boy to his knees, he couldn't stop himself. Naruto crossed his fingers into a hand seal. _"Tajū Kage Bushin no Jutsu!"_ Twenty clones appeared around Naruto and exhibited the same symptoms as the original.

Just as the group of shinobi came in close, one of the more experienced jōnin noticed something was off about the clones. They weren't a typical shadow clone; the chakra signature was different from that of a regular shadow clone. That's when he realized what kind of clones they were. "Oh shi-"

All twenty clones exploded simultaneously, resulting in one massive explosion that rocked the area. The real Naruto had jumped away at the last second and ran off, carrying out the orders of the person who cast the Confusion on him. Another surge of pain and Naruto faltered, he missed his landing and fell into an alleyway.

"Ahhhhhhhhh!" Naruto screamed in agony. He did everything he possibly could think of to free himself of this curse. He smacked his head, pulled on his hair, and even going so far to continually slam his head against the side of a building. "Get out…of my…fucking head!"

Amidst his suffering, Naruto didn't notice the presence of the one person he wanted to stay away from him. "Naruto?!"

Stopping the action of repeatedly hitting his head against a wall, Naruto slowly turned his head. "Sa…Sakura…" He said painfully.

The pink-haired kunoichi was at the end of the alley, it seemed she was running past it when she heard her teammate. "What on earth are you doing? What's going on?"

Naruto's extreme pain continued. "Urgh…Run…get away!" He said in a low, pained voice.

Sakura looked on confused as she approached her friend. "What?"

As if he was being toyed with, another pain surged through Naruto, this one seemed more painfully because of who he was being forced to attack, and jumped at Sakura. Sakura dodged the attack and jumped back to safety. "What's gotten into you, Naruto?! Why'd you lunge at me?"

Naruto couldn't offer a response; his body wouldn't stop moving. He lunged at his beloved teammate again. Sakura dodged again and backflipped away, but Naruto continued his assault. He charged again and tackled Sakura as she came down. Naruto drew a kunai from his holster and swiftly brought it down…

" _You broke your promise to me…"_

…Sakura could only blink at the tip of the knife a mere inch away from the bridge of her nose. She looked beyond the kunai and saw the visible shock on Naruto's pain ridden face, as if he had seen his worst fear come true. "…Naruto?"

"Dynamic Entry!"

A flying kick came in and struck Naruto square in the head. The blonde boy was launched off Sakura and into a nearby wall. Sakura immediately jumped to her feet and saw who it was that attacked. It was none other than Rock Lee.

"Rock Lee?"

The green clad genin looked over his shoulder and smiled at the pinkette, his teeth glistening. "I apologize for my sudden entrance, Sakura, but it seemed you were in some trouble." Lee's attention was brought back to Naruto, he stumbled out of the rubble and groaned as he grabbed the sides of his head. Lee took a taijutsu stance. "Sakura, stay back."

"Wait Lee!"

"Please Sakura, allow me to handle this. I'm not sure what caused Naruto to attack you like he did, but I will protect you from him. No matter what, even if it costs me my life, I will protect you."

Sakura looked at Lee in awe. She barely knew this boy and he was willing to lay down his life to protect her. She appreciated that sediment very much, but she would never allow Lee to do something like that for her. She would never let anyone do that for her. Besides, it almost felt wrong to hear a claim like that from Lee. She already had one protector, that's all she wanted was one. "Be careful Lee, I think something's wrong with Naruto."

The boy with the bowl-style haircut nodded his head. "Yes, I came to that same conclusion. It seems something is happening to our village."

"What do you mean?"

"I saw multiple battles in my search for my teammates, most of those battles were Konoha shinobi fighting each other."

"Fighting each other?" Sakura gasped. "A mind control jutsu?"

Lee glanced back in surprise. "Mind control? I was unaware that such a technique existed."

Sakura shook her head. "I don't know of any if there are. But if you're gonna fight him, Lee, don't try and hurt him. Just try and snap him out of this so he can come back to his senses."

Lee nodded in understanding and turned back to the conflicted boy. It didn't take long for Naruto to charge at him. Lee weaved and dodged through Naruto's strikes, which were very different from their fight in the Chūnin Exams. Naruto's attacks were slow and sloppy, almost amateur-like, and his stance and feet placement were completely different. Whatever happened to Naruto caused his entire fighting style to be affected drastically. Still, Lee took caution with his counters.

Catching Naruto's arm by the wrist, Lee struck with well-placed open-palm strike directly on his chest. This staggered Naruto, giving Lee the opening he needed. Lee delivered a series of high and low kicks at were too fast for Naruto to even try and evade. _"Konoha Senp_ _ū_ _!"_ (Leaf Hurricane)

The final kick launched Naruto back again. Lee did not expect his opponent to get back up, but he was shocked to see Naruto standing back to his feet, as if he felt no pain from Lee's attacks. "How is he getting back up?" Lee questioned. "I've hit him with two of my strongest attacks and he's brushed them off like they were nothing. It's like he feels no pain."

"Well, you're not too far off."

Both genin turned their attention to the sound of the new voice to see both of their respective senseis' jumping down from a building to join them. Kakashi was the one who had spoken.

"Gai/Kakashi sensei!" The two genin called out in unison.

The two jōnin approached their students and stood next to them, keeping their eyes on the struggling Naruto. Kakashi was the first to try and grasp the situation fully. He noted Naruto's overall appearance and attitude was…distraught. He had a constant grip on his head and continuously groaned and moaned from the immense pain he was feeling. "There you are, Naruto."

Naruto managed to open his eyes for a moment before snapping them shut again, trying to deal with the pain. "Kakashi…sensei…help me."

"Yeah…that's why I'm here, Naruto."

"Kakashi sensei, what's wrong with him?" Sakura questioned. "Is it…you know?" She was careful not let the cat, or fox, out of the bag. Lee looked at Sakura curiously while Gai remained passive.

Kakashi shook his head. "No, it's not that. Naruto's body has been taken over by the enemy's jutsu."

"Who is the enemy?" Lee asked.

Gai answered next. "It's Orochimaru. He's back."

"Orochimaru?!" Sakura gasped. "What's he doing back here? I though the Third Hokage defeated him?"

Kakashi nodded. "Yeah…we all thought that. But he's back. He's been sulking around in the shadows lately and he's finally made his move. Lady Hokage is dealing with him. But we can't worry about that right now, we need to help Naruto first. Understood?"

"But if we deal with Orochimaru, wouldn't the jutsu controlling Naruto be released?" Lee questioned.

"There are others being controlled as well, Lee." Gai pointed out. "If we figure out how to free Naruto ourselves then we can go free the others and have a better chance at defeating Orochimaru."

Lee nodded in agreement. "Of course, Gai sensei!"

"Then what can we do?" Sakura asked. "Lee fought him, and Naruto just kept getting up."

"That's because he doesn't feel any pain right now. Well…more accurately, the pain he's feeling from the enemy's control is so vast and extreme that any other pain he feels doesn't compare."

"Basically, he doesn't feel anything else because of the pain from the jutsu." Sakura deduced. "No amount of punishment will stop him…"

Kakashi noted the concern in Sakura's voice was more noticeable than ever before. "Yeah…pretty much."

Sakura watched her teammate continue to struggle with his extremely horrible pain that she could nothing to stop. It infuriated and saddened her. Team Seven had been together for awhile now and Sakura could count on one hand the amount of times she came to her teammate's aid, while she could name plenty of events where Naruto and Sasuke stepped in to save the day. She racked her brain for anything that could possibly help. "What about your Sharingan, sensei? It stopped him before."

"…I can't use my Sharingan right now."

Sakura looked at her teacher with visible shock. "You can't? Why not?"

Kakashi cleared his throat before speaking. "I, uh, already used it in another fight. I…I don't have the chakra to use completely. Besides, I don't think my Sharingan would have the same affect on Naruto this time. It's completely different than before. Someone else is controlling him."

"What kind of mind controlling jutsu is this anyway?" Lee asked.

Kakashi went through what he noticed about his blonde student and pieced together a possible conclusion. "From what I've seen, Naruto is being controlled by the blinding pain. It's so severe that he can't stop himself from obeying the caster's orders. No doubt through some type of impulse. It's possible the pain Naruto's feeling is all in his head and doesn't actually exist. The 'pain' is just the caster giving the order to attack."

"So, it could be type of genjutsu? An illusion?" Gai questioned.

That question jogged Sakura's memory. "If the control is a type of illusion then we can try and break it with a genjutsu removal technique."

Gai looked at his eternal rival. "Could that work? I'm not very savvy on genjutsu…or any jutsu really."

"It's possible. Genjutsu does have the ability to manipulate through false illusions, it can even make someone think they've experienced physical harm. But the illusion aspect is just based on a hunch. It'll be dangerous, Sakura. Make one mistake and…"

"I know that. But Naruto's always come to my rescue. Now, it's my turn to save Naruto! Sensei, please, help me."

Kakashi turned back to Gai, who nodded his head and leaned down to whisper into Lee's ear, then looked down at Sakura with an eye smile. "You got it!"

"AGH!" Naruto screamed from another surge of extreme pain, causing him to run head first towards his comrades. Gai and Lee jumped to Naruto's sides and grabbed his arms while Kakashi jumped over his student and wrapped his arm around Naruto's neck.

"Now Sakura!"

Sakura went through a series of hand seals. She placed her hand on Naruto's forehead and channeled her chakra. "Release!"

Naruto's eyes immediately became dazed and he suddenly felt dizzy, if it wasn't for the three holding him up he would have fallen down. "Uuuooohh…" The boy groaned. The pain had subsided for the moment, but he could already feel it returning.

"Naruto! Can you hear my voice?"

"Kakashi…sensei…oohh…"

"C'mon Naruto! Snap out of it!"

"Sa…Sakura…"

"Do not let the enemy keep control! Fight it!" Lee boasted.

A deep growl emitted from Naruto's throat as he felt the pain begin to return. But he had control again, he wasn't going to let it happen again. He thrashed slightly to the left then to the right. Kakashi heard the growl and knew something bad was about to happen. He let go of his student and jumped back to a safe distance. "Back away from him! Now!"

Both Gai and Lee instantly let go of Naruto and jumped back to a safe distance. But Sakura remained, she wasn't going to let Naruto be controlled again. That's when she noticed the color shift in Naruto's eyes. Sakura froze.

"Sakura!" Lee yelled.

Naruto gripped the sides of his head like he had been doing the entire time, but he did not make any sort of hostile movement towards Sakura. In fact, he seemed to be fighting off the Confusion even more. "Get out…Get out of my head!" With a fierce scream and burst of red chakra from his body, Naruto collapsed to the ground.

"Naruto!" Sakura yelled. She tried to catch Naruto's collapsing body but he fell away from her, straight onto his back.

"Did Sakura's plan to free Naruto work?" Lee questioned as he and the two jōnin moved back in.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, it knocked him out, that's for sure. And that's just as good when it comes to breaking a genjutsu on someone. And considering the way he reacted I'm assuming he'll be out of awhile."

"Then we need to keep him safe until he wakes up." Gai stated.

"I'll do it!" Sakura quickly spoke up. "I'll keep Naruto safe. You can count on me!"

Kakashi showed his smile through his eye again. Sakura needed to figure out how he conveyed emotion through a single eye. "I had a hunch you'd volunteer. But who knows who else has been taken over by the same jutsu? Lee, stay here with Sakura and watch over Naruto, just in case."

Lee gave a thumbs up and a 'nice guy' smile. "Don't worry, Kakashi sensei! I will protect Sakura and Naruto with my life!"

Gai gave a near identical smile and pose. "That's the spirit, Lee! Protect your friends at all costs with the Power of Youth!"

"Yes, Gai sensei!"

Kakashi silently sighed to himself, he could barely tolerate Gai and his 'youthful' speeches. Now, there was two of them… "Gai, we need to get a move on. We need to find that scroll."

Gai snapped back into a serious mode. "Right! We need to find the place that is 'protected by heroes'. Maybe Lord Jiraiya found something in the cravens behind the Hokage Mountain." Sakura couldn't help but overhear her two superior's conversation.

"I don't think so, Gai. He would have come back by now if he did."

"Ah…right you are, my dear rival. Then where could that scroll be hidden? There aren't many places that come to mind when given the hint 'protected by heroes'."

"Um, excuse me?"

The two jōnin looked over at the young pink-haired kunoichi who had sheepishly spoken up, obviously embarrassed that she was eavesdropping. "Hm?"

"Are you looking for something, sensei?" Sakura questioned.

Kakashi realized that he wasn't being as careful with his words as he probably should have, but there was no hiding it now. Sometimes he couldn't believe how preceptive any one of his students could be at times. "Uh, yeah, we are. We're looking for something that'll help stop Orochimaru…hopefully for good this time."

Sakura nodded her head in understanding. If finding this scroll helped put an end to Orochimaru than she'd help in anyway she could. Orochimaru had hurt both Sasuke and Naruto, even going so far to 'gift' them both with that mark. "Do you have any idea where this thing that you need is? Or what it is?"

"It's a scroll…a very valuable scroll." Gai answered. "And no, we don't know where it is. All we have is a hint on it's location."

"What's the hint?" Lee questioned.

"The scroll's hiding place is 'protected by heroes'." Kakashi informed. "And you can rule out the Hokage Faces, we've already checked."

Both Sakura and Lee adopted their own separate thinking poses as they racked their brains for anything that could pertain to the hint. Lee wasn't having much luck; he wasn't aware of any place that was protected by someone who was considered a hero. Sakura constantly replayed the words over and over in her head, hoping a memory would trigger.

'Protected by heroes…heroes…heroes…Oh!' "Um, Kakashi sensei?"

"Hm? Think of a place?"

"I know a place that's KINDA protected by heroes…"

"What?! Really?" Gai questioned.

"Y-Yeah. You brought us there just the other day, Kakashi sensei, when you told us the reason why you say teamwork is the most valuable lesson for us to learn. The Memorial Stone is in honor of Konoha's fallen heroes. Maybe the scroll is somewhere near the Memorial Stone."

"Of course." Kakashi agreed, how did he not think of that. "We assumed the hint was referring to the line of Hokages."

"But those who gave their lives for the sake of the village are also considered heroes." Gai added.

Kakashi nodded. "It's worth a try, we don't have much else. Good work Sakura. Me and Gai will go see what we can find. You and Lee get Naruto somewhere safe until he wakes up."

Sakura nodded with determination. Finally, she was going to protect Naruto once. "You got it!"

Lee gave another thumbs up. "I won't let you down!"

The two jōnin nodded at their genin students before turning and jumping off towards the Memorial stone.

 **-Near the training fields-**

'Oh man…that woman hit me this far with just a single finger?!'

Kidōmaru had finally stopped flying through the air to only crash through a number of trees before landing in an open field with three logs implanted in the ground near the center. The six-armed man laid there for a moment, trying to regain his senses from the crash landing. He might've let his guard down too much as he just happened to roll his head out of the way of a kunai being thrown at him.

"Oh fuck!" Kidōmaru yelped in panic as he jumped to his feet. He moved back to create some distance and make it harder for the enemy to hit a moving target. Oddly enough, the enemy was already in the open, picking up his kunai. "Wait a minute…you're…"

The person who had thrown the kunai had black eyes and black hair, wearing a navy blue short-sleeved high collared shirt with white shorts and an unzipped green Konoha flak jacket. The boy twirled the kunai he had thrown between his fingers before holstering the knife on his hip. "What are you doing in this village?"

Kidōmaru smirked, he couldn't believe his luck. "So, you're the one Lord Orochimaru wants…you're Sasuke Uchiha."

The Uchiha chūnin narrowed his eyes in suspicion. He would like to play dumb but his clan's crest on his back was a dead giveaway of who he was…and who he was related too. But this was a golden opportunity to get some answers for his burning questions. "What does Orochimaru want with me?"

"You know, you should consider yourself lucky…honored even. Lord Orochimaru is very picky about those he lets around him. Me and the others from my group have offered ourselves to him, but he only wants you. And I gotta tell you…I don't see it."

Sasuke sensed the hostility in the words of the man with six arms, which had to be a kind of body modification...just like the Hokage's breasts. "You're not the only one. He said he could give me the power I needed…is that what this mark is for?"

Kidōmaru smirked again, his own mark beginning to spread across his body in entwining twisted lines. "Ah, yes, Heavens Curse Mark. It does give you a boost in power…but not enough to beat me."

Sasuke looked on in shock. This guy had the same mark as him? "You-You have this mark?!"

"All of Lord Orochimaru's best soldiers do. I am one of his most trusted and strongest warriors."

"He wants me to be one of his soldiers?" Sasuke questioned with a growl, overcoming his shock.

"Well, you could spin it that way. But that's not quite correct. You see, Lord Orochimaru, he wants you on our side, so that when the time comes you'll be ready."

"Ready for what?"

Kidōmaru's gaze hardened as a malicious smile appeared on his face. "Tell you what? You beat me in a fight and I'll tell you everything Orochimaru has planned for you. I want to see why Lord Orochimaru passed us up for someone like you."

"Why would I entertain that?"

"You want to kill Itachi Uchiha, right?" Kidōmaru enjoyed the visible frustration on Sasuke as he mentioned his older brother's name. "Well, if you beat me, you'll know how Orochimaru wants to help with that."

Sasuke's Sharingan had already spun into life at the name of his older brother. He was ready rip Kidōmaru's throat out for even mentioning that name! It was a good thing Sasuke had already planned on killing this man for attacking his village, now he had a personal reason to do so that would make the victory all that much more sweeter. But finally learning what Orochimaru wants from him will make this fight worth it.

 **-With Kiba-**

"I don't think so! I'm not gonna lose you!" Kiba shouted as he and his ninja hound, Akamaru, chased after this unknown man with a second head.

Kiba and Akamaru had run into this man by pure accident. They were out on their afternoon walk when he literally came flying in from out of nowhere and nearly hit them. When he realized that the man was not from Konoha, Kiba questioned what he was doing here. The man instantly took off and Kiba ran after him.

"Quit running you damn coward!"

Sakon looked over his shoulder and groaned in annoyance. 'Damn! He's not letting up. I needed to get back to Lord Orochimaru fast, but this damn kid won't get lost.' Sakon suddenly stopped on a rooftop and turned to face Kiba.

"Fine. You wanna die so badly?! I'll be happy to kill you!"

 **-With Orochimaru-**

"Lord Orochimaru!"

The Snake Sannin was already aware of the person who had joined him on the roof, he didn't even bother turning to face them. "Tayuya…did you complete your mission?"

The girl bowed her head in her kneeling position. "My apologizes, my lord, but that blonde brat was stronger than I thought. He broke through my genjutsu and overpowered me and Jirōbō. We got separated and couldn't complete the mission."

The silence was eerie and Tayuya did not like her chances of surviving.

"No matter, we took care of young Naruto. I used the Gedō Mark: Confusion on him. He'll be fighting for us. Consider yourself lucky that things played out like that, or else I would have killed you for failing me."

Tayuya fearfully nodded her head. "I-I understand, Lord Orochimaru. I won't fail you again."

"I hate to break it to you, but you are about to fail him right now."

Tayuya gasped as she turned around quickly to face the newcomer, she had no idea there was anyone behind her. Orochimaru, however, was less surprised, he expected his old teammates to show up at some point, just not together like this.

"Jiraiya…Tsunade…"

The Three-Way Deadlock has begun…


	29. Chapter 29

**-Konoha Main Gate-**

"What in the world is going on here?"

Three young teens stood in the massive doorway that gave entrance into the village of Konoha. They could see the smoke trails floating into the sky, hear the screams of terror echoing from fearful, and clashing of many battles that caused horrible damage.

The first teen, the oldest, was girl with dirty blonde hair that was tied into four separate spiky ponytails, she had a massive fan strapped to her back by a red obi belt. The second teen was a boy in a black bunraku outfit and had purple face-paint into a cross-like design on his face, on his back were two human-sized bandaged puppets. And the third, and the youngest, teen had auburn red hair with a kanji tattoo meaning 'love' on the left side of his forehead, on his back was a massive gourd filled with sand.

Temari looked on in surprise. "They're under attack again…"

Kankurō shook his head in disbelief. "This village has to have some type of target on it's back. When was the last time you heard of a great village being invaded back-to-back like this?"

"Kankurō…Temari…we must help."

The two siblings looked at each other than at their younger brother with determination in their eyes. They were still getting used to the fact that Gaara's attitude has done a complete turnaround, never before would he have been the one to suggest helping someone else. Whatever that blonde kid did to him in their fight really knocked some sense into Gaara.

"Let's go."

 **-Memorial Stone-**

The silver-haired disciple of Orochimaru let out a short sigh, staring at the carved stone before him. According to Konoha lore, this stone was created for the sole purpose of honoring the shinobi that gave their lives for the village: evident by the names craved into the kunai-shaped stone. If he remembered correctly, the name of this structure was the Memorial Stone.

"I had heard you betrayed the village…but the more I thought about it, you were never one of us to begin with."

Kabuto gasped at the voice; he hadn't sensed anyone. He quickly turned around to see who had come. The Hyūga prodigy, and newly promoted to chūnin, Neji.

"Something you want?"

"I've come to stop you and put an end to this madness."

Kabuto smirked at the boy's proclamation. "Stop me? Heh-heh-heh. Why? There's no reason for us to fight, is there?"

"Don't play innocent with me. I know you're the one behind this crisis."

"You do, eh?"

The veins around Neji's eyes bulged out as his pupils became more distinct. "Heh…nothing gets past my Byakugan."

Kabuto pushed his glasses, dropping his smirk. "I see…"

"This is as far you little scheme goes." Neji stated with determination as he took the Gentle Fist taijutsu stance.

Kabuto let a sigh, it almost sounded disappointed. "And there is the fatal flaw of you Konoha shinobi. You're all the same. You rush into a battle without assessing the strength of your opponent. Your recklessness will be the death of you. Get in my way and I'll kill you."

Neji smirked, holding his stance. "Such confidence. I'm curious to see how long it lasts."

Kabuto sighed again, sounding more annoyed than disappointed this time. "So, you refuse to listen? Fine. Don't say I didn't warn you."

"If we're warning each other then I should warn you that you've been in my range this entire time."

Kabuto's interest was peaked. A long-ranged technique? He wasn't aware that the Hyūga really prioritized to learn long-ranged attacks. The Hyūga clan was mostly known for their exceptional taijutsu and, obviously, the Byakugan, which gave the user the ability to see a person's chakra system and all their points. Seeing all the chakra points in a person's system was very handy because their taijutsu, the Gentle Fist, had the precision to hit the chakra points and-

"Oh shit…"

"Eight Trigrams: Sixty-Four Palms…beginning with Two Palm!"

Neji moved in swiftly, closing the distance and hitting the first two points before Kabuto had time to react. Kabuto instantly realized that he wouldn't be able to get away, especially since Neji had already hit his first two strikes, he needed a winning strategy and fast. He quickly slapped his hand on Neji's chest just as the next strikes came in.

"Four Palm! Eight Palm!" Neji continued with striking away at Kabuto's chakra points. "Sixteen Palm! Thirty-Two Palm! Sixty-Four Palm!"

With a final palm strike to his chest, Neji pushed Kabuto back. Neji looked on and expected his opponent to fall, but he did not. In fact, he could see chakra still flowing through his system. "How are you still standing?!"

Kabuto laughed as he began to heal his injuries and reopen his chakra points with his medical ninjutsu. "I should be the one asking you that."

That's when it finally hit Neji, all the air had escaped his lungs and he could no longer feel his limbs. His body went limp and he collapsed to the ground. He struggled to look at his opponent but managed to do so. "H-How…?! It should be game over. I hit every one of your points."

"You would have if I hadn't messed up your entire central nervous system. That little number I did on your chest sent an electrical shock through your entire nervous system that cut feeling from every single one of your limbs, causing your strikes to miss. I'm impressed, I must say, you managed to hit a few of my points out of pure muscle memory. You must train a lot."

Neji grunted and groaned as he tried to push his body off the ground, but he could not get his body to respond. He managed to look up to see that Kabuto had moved to kneel over him.

"You are probably expecting me to kill you right now, and I probably should give the circumstances, but I'm not going to. I don't want to kill if I don't need to. The shock I gave you will put you out of commission for a while. I'll be long gone before you'll be able to move."

"Then…why do you…follow Orochimaru if you won't…kill me? From what I've gathered…he'll kill anyone who opposes him." Neji struggled to say.

It was subtle and near unnoticeable, the glasses made even more difficult, but Neji caught the faintest look of realization in Kabuto's eyes. The question of allegiance seemed to hit Kabuto harder than expected. A single blink and the realization disappeared.

"I agree with Lord Orochimaru's ideals. He has a vision…and I want to see it come true."

"Neji!"

Kabuto looked over and saw two familiar faces enter the area from the trees. Both Kakashi and Gai jumped down and landed ready to fight. "Well, aren't you two persistent."

"What did you do to Neji?!" Gai shouted.

Kabuto smirked as he stood to his full height. "Oh, nothing really, he just made the same mistake you all Leaf ninja make. Never accounting for your enemy's strength, a fatal flaw."

Kakashi glared at the man. "…You killed him?"

Kabuto pushed up his glasses. "Heavens no. Why would I do something so barbaric? But take a step closer and this boy will never be able to use his gifted eyes again."

"Get away from Neji!" Gai shouted again.

"You know, I believe you're right. It is about time I make my exit. I'm sure I can find another unsuspecting victim to turn on their comrades before things get too chaotic." Kabuto threw a smoke pellet on the ground and disappeared while under the cover.

Gai quickly rushed over to his student while Kakashi looked over to the Memorial Stone, already starting his search for the scroll. "Is he alive, Gai?"

The green clad man nodded. "Yes." He sighed in relief. "Thank goodness…"

Kakashi moved towards the stone and stood before it. His initial visual look over of the Memorial Stone didn't amount to much. He didn't notice anything out of the ordinary, which was to be expected. But instead of moving around the monument, trying to find something out of place, he just stood in front of the monument, staring at it. He placed his hand over his covered eye as memories of a buried past came back to the surface.

'Obito…Rin…Sensei…'

Gai moved Neji's unconscious off the ground and set him up against a nearby tree, he looked over Neji a second time to make sure nothing else was wrong. Gai turned back to look at Kakashi. "We need to go after him, Kakashi. He needs to be stopped before he can do any more damage to the village."

Kakashi's grip on the cloth tightened. Gai was right, Kabuto needed to be stopped. By him. "Gai, stay here and wait for Neji to wake up. His Byakugan will find the scroll much faster than you and I can."

"And what are you going to do?"

The cloth that covered Kakashi's scarred eye slowly rose to his forehead, exposing the Sharingan. Merely just activating the dōjutsu caused immense pain, but Kakashi powered through it. "I'm going after Kabuto…and put an end to his madness."

 **-With Sakura and Lee-**

The pair of Sakura and Rock Lee had moved their unconscious comrade, Naruto, out of the street and hid themselves in a nearby alleyway, Lee stood guard at the end of the alley while Sakura kept a close eye on her teammate. They, both, could hear the sounds of multiple battles being fought around them, clashing metal and explosions of jutsus echoed through the air.

Lee continued to scan the area around them. "We should be safe here for a while. We might want to consider moving to another location soon."

Sakura nodded in understanding before turning back to the unconscious boy propped up against the wall in front of her, it looked like Naruto had fallen into a deep sleep the way his body had relaxed. Minus the rise and fall of his chest from his breathing, Naruto hadn't moved a single muscle since he passed out.

It was such a long shot that her idea even worked. The fact that a simple genjutsu removal technique was enough to mess with the mind control just enough for Naruto break it completely, however he did, was astonishing, she briefly wondered how complex the mind control jutsu was and how it could be thrown into disarray with by a simple genjutsu removal technique…then her brain started to hurt so she stopped thinking about it.

"Uh…" A slight groan escaped Naruto's throat as he shifted in discomfort.

"Naruto…?"

Another groan and Naruto opened his eyes, already making out the blurry pink blob was Sakura. "Sa…Sakura…"

"Are…are you okay, Naruto?"

Naruto rubbed his eye, as if he had just woken up from a nap. "I'm fine…just trying to get my bearings back." He blinked a few times before his vision became clear and he could see the concern on his teammate's face. "Are you alright, Sakura? You don't seem hurt."

Sakura shook her head. "No, I'm fine. Lee has been on lookout while I've kept an eye on you."

Lee turned back momentarily. "I'm glad to see that you are back on our side, Naruto."

The memories of what he had done flashed through his mind. "…Yeah, I'm me again…" Naruto looked up at Sakura once more and immediately saw the bloody version of her from the vision he was forced to endure earlier…the vision that almost became a reality because of him. "Sakura, I-"

"That _wasn't_ you. Got it?"

"But I- "

"If you're having trouble not seeing it wasn't you then we'll talk about it later." Sakura said. "But, right now, you need to get your head on straight. There are a lot of other people who were taken over by the enemy's' jutsu. We need to help them first."

Naruto held a blank stare for a moment, it was rare to hear Sakura use such authority in her voice…in fact, that was the first time she used that tone towards him. But it did the trick. Naruto pushed the negative thoughts aside to be dealt with later…much like other things that he needed to figure out. "Right…you're right."

Sakura smiled in satisfaction and offered her hand to help Naruto off the ground, which he accepted. "Good. Now, c'mon, we are heading to the Memorial Stone to help Kakashi sensei."

Naruto raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Help Kakashi sensei? What for?"

"Him and Gai sensei are looking for something that will help end Orochimaru's attack." Lee chimed in as he approached the pair.

"What are they looking for?"

"A scroll of some kind." Sakura answered. "Apparently, it will free everyone from Orochimaru's control."

That's all Naruto needed to hear. He wanted to make Orochimaru pay for making him his puppet. "Right! We're not doing any good just standing around here!"

"Yeah!"

"Then let's make haste to the Memorial Stone! We must not fail!"

 **-Kiba vs. Sakon-**

Kiba could barely keep his hard breathing quiet as he tried to hide from his opponent in a dark alleyway, all the while trying to sooth Akamaru's injuries. The fight had started off well, him and Akamaru were able to catch this creepy dude with two heads in an explosive tag. But that only seemed to piss the guy off. Weird and strange black markings spread all over his face and body and instantly turned the tide of the battle.

Kiba and Akamaru tried to go for the explosive trap again but this guy gained more speed somehow and nearly set the tag off while Akamaru was still trying to place it. Akamaru had a few burns but none that were too serious.

"C'mon on out! You're the one who wanted this fight in the first place!" Sakon shouted like a crazed madman from overhead.

Kiba moved slightly more out of view, trying to give himself as much time as possible to think of a plan to beat this guy. He felt a small nudge against his chest and looked down at Akamaru. The ninja hound whined slightly as if he was trying to say something.

"Are you sure you're up for it, buddy?" The dog nodded in understanding. Kiba sighed as he dug around his pocket for a solider pill. "Alright…but we'll only have the one shot. We've never done the full transformation yet and it'll use up most of our chakra. We'll be dead dogs if we don't beat him." He took out the solider pill and placed it in Akamaru's mouth, he needed the nourishment more. "Let's go at him from both sides with Fang over Fang!"

Sakon jumped down from the rooftops and stood in the street. He was leaving himself completely open, but he was getting frustrated that he couldn't find this guy. As much as he needed to get back to Orochimaru, this kid needed to die first.

"Man-Beast Taijutsu: Fang over Fang!"

Two fast rotating objects flew in from Sakon's front and back, planning to tunnel their way through him. The impact was quick and explosive. The dust cleared and Kiba was able to see what had stopped the joint attack. Two arms had sprouted out of Sakon's back as the second head on his body seemed to have finally awakened from his slumber.

"Two on two seems perfect for us…don't you think, Sakon?" The second head said, smiling sinisterly at the Kiba he was restraining, as a foot grew out of Sakon's back and pushed against Kiba.

'What the hell is this guy?! What kind of ability is this?!'

The foot had enough force to simply push Kiba back and send him flying into a wall, the transformation was dropped and Akamaru appeared. The real Kiba pushed against Sakon's strength but couldn't break free. One of the sprouted arms reached around grabbed Kiba by his neck, freeing up Sakon's arms to assault Kiba.

"We're really a good team…true brothers." The second head stated.

Sakon smirked. "My older brother normally stays asleep inside me, but normally awakes up to help out in a battle. Ukon can extend his hands and legs from any part my body and can both strike and defend." Ukon's head and hand appeared out of Sakon's scalp and both began to strike Kiba from different angles. "Just like this!"

With the strength of three arms and legs, Sakon and Ukon beat down Kiba and sent him flying back. Akamaru barked in concern as he ran towards his master. "Punches and kicks that are three times as powerful hurts a bit more, don't they? Let's see…what else could I do to you?"

A hand appeared out of Sakon's collarbone and clasped over his mouth. Ukon's head also appeared. "We don't have much time to spare, Sakon. Lord Orochimaru needs us." A portion of Sakon's skin turned red and Ukon's head began to change and resemble an oni. A large, horn-like grew out the side of his forehead and his hair turned sickly white. "Kill them quickly…activate Level Two!"

Sakon nodded and his features became like his brother. "Yeah yeah, you're too hasty, brother."

Kiba looked on in complete shock, even Akamaru whined. 'This isn't good. We were already out-matched big time when that second guy came out…but their chakra increased ten-fold?! What is going on?!'

"Woof! Woof!"

Kiba nodded in confirmation, Akamaru was ready for their strongest attack. "Alright buddy, let's end this with Double Wolf Fang!"

Sakon, with Ukon prodding out, charged at Kiba with the intent to kill. Akamaru jumped into the air, spinning and flinging urine, while Kiba stayed and took the blow to the stomach. A splash of the dog's urine hit Sakon in the face, throwing his aim off and missing the killing blow on Kiba.

"What the fuck?! Piss?!"

Akamaru landed on Kiba's head. "Everything's set!" Kiba yelled as he slammed his hands together. "Man-Beast Transformation Combo: Double-Headed Wolf!"

Using a combo transformation, which is a specialty of the Inuzuka clan, Kiba and Akamaru transformed themselves into a large, two headed wolf that resembled Akamaru. It's two heads bared its fangs and drooled large drops of saliva all over the area.

Sakon was not impressed by the showing. "Hehehe…all this tension for a drooling dog?"

"Look out brother!" Ukon shouted.

"Eat this!" The massive two-headed beast jumped into the air and began to spin rapidly like a drill. Sakon was able dodge the first pass of the drilling beast by jumping out of the way, not without getting scraped in the calf. But on his landing, he slipped in a pool of saliva that messed up his footing. He couldn't get out of the way of a second coming. "Double Wolf Fang!"

Kiba and Akamaru's ultimate attack nailed Sakon and Ukon dead center, ripping right through the conjoined brothers. One half of the body went one way while the other half went another. The two-headed beast came to grinding halt and admired the result.

"Ha! How was that?!" Kiba shouted in triumph. "We were spinning so fast that I couldn't keep track of you with my vision. But even if we didn't hit you head on like we did, the shockwaves would have been more then plenty to slice you up nine different ways."

Both Ukon and Sakon laid motionless on the ground. That is until limbs started to grow from their ripped halves. Each sprouted one arm and one leg that matched their demonic looking features. Both demon-like brothers rose to their feet and adjusted themselves to their new limbs.

"Actually…we were thinking about splitting up. Thanks for doing the work for us." Ukon stated as he clenched his claw-like hand.

The transformed beast of Kiba and Akamaru looked on in utter disbelief. 'They multiplied?!'

Sakon cracked his neck towards the massive spike on his shoulder. "But I will say that is this the first time we've been separated by force. If we had been hit as one, then it would've been bad for us."

"No matter…the real fight begins now!"

Kiba grunted in frustration while Akamaru whined in great pain. The transformation was putting a much bigger strain on the ninja hound than his master thought. 'Yeah, I know it hurts Akamaru. I think we got one more shot in us before we lose the transformation. We'll get them with this one then!'

With great force and speed, the double-headed beast spin rapidly again and tunneled its way towards the two demoniac brothers. Both Sakon and Ukon evaded the tunneling beast and hid in two separate alleyways.

"There's no use in hiding from us! I told you we're not using our eyes!" Kiba shouted as the spinning beast continued to charge. "You reek of piss! I can smell you from a mile away!"

The plan was near instantaneous for Sakon and Ukon. They both realized they wouldn't be able to outrun the beast, so blocking it's spinning attack was the next best thing. The brothers, both, bit their demonic looking thumb and slammed their hands on the ground, the alpha and the beta.

" _Kuchiyose: Rash_ _ō_ _mon!"_ The brothers shouted in unison.

A large demonic looking gate rose up from the ground and stood between the two-head beast and the demonic brothers. The steel doors were bolted shut for an iron defense against the drilling beast. The impact was loud and fierce enough to dent the steel doors. The beast transformation faltered and disappeared, Kiba and Akamaru fell separately through the air.

"This is the end!" Sakon yelled as he and Ukon came in for killing blows on them both.

It was too quick for Kiba to stop but Akamaru was able to kick Kiba out of harms way and take the front of the blows from both Sakon and Ukon but let out a sling of urine that hit Sakon in his eyes.

"Akamaru! Damnit!" Kiba yelled. 'He took that blow for me…'

"Oh god! That little shit pissed in my eyes! It burns like fucking acid!" Sakon screamed in agony as he tried to rub the burning sensation away.

Kiba looked around to gain better awareness of his surroundings, he noticed that one of the demonic brothers was missing. "Shit…where'd the other one go?"

"Are you looking for me?"

Kiba instantly froze in absolute fear when Ukon whispered in his ear, Ukon's hot breath sent chills down Kiba's spine. He simply glanced over to his shoulder with his eyes, fearing that moving any muscle would result in his death. Protruding out of Kiba's shoulder was Ukon's demonic head, much like how he would protrude out of Sakon.

"Fuck you Ukon! You used me as a shield to get inside him!"

"Calm down brother. I'll handle the rest. Do what you can to cleanse your eyes. Lord Orochimaru will need what strength we can spare."

Kiba tried to punch Ukon out of his body. But Ukon brought out a hand and caught Kiba's fist and used his arm choke him.

"This is my ability…specialized for assassinations." Ukon stated as he used Kiba's arm to choke him. "Did you know that the passage of chakra is deeply woven together with your organs? In other words, these passageways heavily interact with your organs and the cells that make up the tissue. In my 'Level Two' state, I can construct and deconstruct my cells and proteins at my own will. Basically, I can break myself down and invade the enemy's body and reconstruct my body with theirs…becoming one in the same body."

Kiba was able to understand what this demonic guy was saying. 'Same body?! Then that means…'

"But rest assured, our bodies aren't fully merged together. My cells move freely among your body. That's how I can get creative with killing. I can tear off little bits and pieces that aren't merged with me."

Kiba held a toothy grin as he used his free hand to draw his kunai from his thigh holster. "Oh yeah? Then what happens if I do this?!" Before Ukon could create a hand to stop him, Kiba stabbed himself in the stomach. Both parties had blood dripping from their mouths.

"S-Suicide?!"

Kiba's grin turned into a full-blown smile. "If I'm going down then you're coming with me!"

"What the hell are you thinking, you crazy fuck?!"

"We're sharing the same body, right?" Kiba hacked up a handful of blood. "That means if one of us gets hurt then the other does too."

"Shit…!" 'The whole point of my ability is to stay out of harms way…I never thought I'd meet someone that'd do something like this…'

"Painful, isn't it? Then let's settle this!" Kiba plunged the kunai into his midsection but Ukon separated himself from Kiba before the blow could hurt him.

Ukon tried to get up but the stab wound he received proved to be a lethal one, blood was pouring out of the wound around his kidney and he couldn't slow the flow. The wound was devastating that his Curse Mark began to recede and Ukon returned to a normal state. "Damn it…I can't…go on." The man fell back and closed his eyes.

"Ukon!" Sakon shouted in anger as tears streamed down his face from the burning sensation. "You bastard! You'll die for that!" He staggeringly approached Kiba with the intent to end this once and for all.

Kiba ignored the man crawled his way towards his long-time companion. Akamaru had long ago passed out and showed no signs of life. His owner and master tenderly picked the white dog up in his arms and held him. 'Thank god…he's still breathing. You fought well buddy. We managed to hold them off long enough for someone to hopefully to come to our rescue…and because of you we were even able to kill one of them.' He looked over his shoulder and saw Sakon slowly coming towards them. 'Don't worry Akamaru…I'll protect you this time.'

Sakon stood over Kiba with his demonic arm cranked back, ready to slice the man to pieces who killed his brother. He strained his claw-like fingers, yearning for Kiba's throat to be in his grip. He shot his hand down and was blocked by a cloaked figure.

Kiba fell back against a wall, cradling his life-long companion. "I really hope you're on our side this time."

Sakon followed his enemy's eyes to see another figure in a black outfit with purple face paint. Sakon immediately put the pieces together and realized that this newcomer was a puppet user. And the thing that blocked his attack was his puppet. But what caught his eye the most was the Suna hitaiate on his hood. A familiar ally, or a former one at that.

"You guys are really indecisive. Pick a fucking side, will ya?"

Kankurō smirked as he moved his fingers in the correct manner to control his puppet, using the chakra threads at the points of his fingers to move Karasu and Kuroari. "I have picked a side…we're Konoha's allies now. And you're really careless for letting your guard down with Kuroari right behind you."

Sakon looked confused for a moment before looking over his shoulder to see a puppet with a bucket-shaped head with two sharp red horns. It barrel-like body opened and engulfed Sakon, trapping him.

"Kuroari isn't an attacking puppet. Its purpose is to capture its target and give Karasu the opportunity to attack." Kankurō moved his fingers and Karasu's limbs, including the head, broke from its main body and unsheathed daggers from each of the joints. "Eat this! Puppet Theater!"

"Let me out, you bast-"

Sakon was never able to finish his words because the multiple different daggers of Karasu's limbs shot through Kuroari's open slots, piercing Sakon through and through. The death many have been quick but the sounds of blades cutting flesh stained the area like the blood staining Kuroari's insides.

"…And the play ends."

 **-Sasuke vs. Kidōmaru-**

Sasuke felt as if he was holding his own against Kidōmaru, considering the odd obstacle of the six arms. Hand-to-hand combat with Kidōmaru was an absolute nightmare, even for someone as skilled at taijutsu as Sasuke was. His Sharingan proved, yet again, to be the equalizer for him. His heightened concentration combined with his natural ability of situational awareness was the perfect storm for Sasuke to handle fighting a man with six arms.

Next was Kidōmaru's spider-like ability of creating spiderwebs and being able to shoot the webs from his mouth…

" _Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

Sasuke fired a great ball of fire from his own mouth to counter the flying web that was shot at him by Kidōmaru. The fire consumed the webs and Sasuke assumed he had burned the webs completely, but a small burnt portion of webs flew through the fire and caught Sasuke's left hand against a tree.

Sasuke tried to free his hand but couldn't break it free. "What the heck? My fireball should have burned up all the webs." He took out a kunai knife and tried to cut through the webs. "I can't cut it!"

"That's because my webs are from my spit and are infused with my chakra. They're unbreakable."

Sasuke continued to try and break his limb free. "It looks like your webs aren't entirely unbreakable, my flames still consumed them."

"I will give you that. Your _Katon_ ability was strong enough to burn my chakra webs." Kidōmaru stated. He fiddled with something in his mouth, as if he was chewing, and pulled out six golden spikes made from the same chakra web. He bit off the stringy ends and the spikes hardened to steel. "But nothing can burn or break my Golden Spider Spikes!"

The six spikes were thrown simultaneously and closed in on Sasuke. Sasuke was practically jerking his arm, trying to free himself from the sticky web. He knew the spikes would tear through him like paper if he didn't do something quick. He couldn't burn the webs without burning himself and using a kunai to cut through the webs was a useless endeavor. Funneling chakra into his left hand, lightning began to arch from his palm as the sound of one thousand birds filled the area. The webs broke apart and Sasuke was freed. The spikes embedded themselves into the tree and Sasuke dashed in front of Kidōmaru and put the lightning in his face.

" _Chidori!"_

The bolt came down and struck Kidōmaru square in the face. But Sasuke was quick to realize that there was a golden plate separating his hand from his intended target. The golden plate was formed perfectly around Kidōmaru's head like a shield but had been cracked and broken from the impact of Sasuke's _Chidori_.

'Golden skin!?' Sasuke jumped back to safe distance. He focused his Sharingan. 'That skin is made from the same materials as those lances he spat out of his mouth. This must some type of kekkei genkai.'

Kidōmaru ripped off the shield and showed his proud smile. "That was a close call, I wasn't sure I'd be able to materialize my armor in time. A narrow escape."

"It's not just your mouth then. You can materialize from any part of your body."

"Hmph…those Sharingan eyes of yours are more preceptive than I thought. But your right. My _kumo-nenkin_ (Golden Spider Thread) is a form of metal that instantly hardens when it touches air. Also, I can emit it not just from my mouth but every sweat gland on my body."

Sasuke continued to analyze his opponent and tried to come up with possible strategies. 'Close combat is already a nightmare with those six arms, so that's out of the question. My _Katon_ techniques are strong enough to burn his webs but I've already used up half my chakra with just one _Chidori_. I have one more kill shot with roughly six more fireballs to counter the webs. But if I get caught again and have to spend another _Chidori_...it won't be good for me.'

Kidōmaru was doing the exact same thing and analyzed his opponent. 'This will be an interesting game. I never would have thought my webs would be weak to a lightning jutsu like that. The force of a lightning bolt must have cut through my chakra. But if I can get him caught in a full body bind then that should be enough. I'll just have to watch out for his fire. But his Sharingan is another major problem. From what Lord Orochimaru's research said, the Sharingan is capable of copying techniques, can predict a person's movement based off the slightest muscle tension, and react to fast moving objects. If I can come at him from multiple angles, he won't be able to track everything and I should be able to trap him.'

With a plan solidified, Kidōmaru began to act. The six-armed man jumped into the trees to hide away. Sasuke tried to track Kidōmaru's movements but the lack of sound threw him off and he lost Kidōmaru's position. He continuously scanned the trees for any sign of his opponent. Realizing that he was at a huge disadvantage and that Kidōmaru could attack him from any and every possible area besides below him, Sasuke executed a series of hand seals.

" _Katon: Ry_ _ū_ _ka no Jutsu!"_ (Fire Style: Dragon Flame Jutsu)

A constant stream of flame flew out of Sasuke's mouth as he spun around. The flames scorched the trees and burned the vegetation. From his hiding spot, Kidōmaru saw the flames coming his way and ducked for cover on the ground. Burnt leaves and burning branches fell with Kidōmaru as he fell into Sasuke's view.

Sasuke's attack was far from over. His hands flew through another set of seals. _"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"_

A massive fireball flew towards Kidōmaru, ready to burn the spider-like man to a pile of ashes on the ground. But Kidōmaru was quick to react. He shot a long web out of mouth that stuck to a non-burning branch that propelled him up like a grapple. He bit the web and cut himself loose once clear of the fireball but that was a mistake, Sasuke had appeared under him.

"Little brat!"

Kidōmaru instinctively swung one of his arms back. Sasuke anticipated this and already had a counter ready. He kicked Kidōmaru higher into the air, creating more speed on decent that would shortly follow. He fiercely grabbed Kidōmaru's purple rope belt and timed his devastating kick just as he approached the ground.

" _Shishi Rendan!"_ (Lions Barrage)

The ground shattered underneath the impact of Sasuke's devasting kick to Kidōmaru's midsection, but Sasuke knew the kick did not connect because the golden armor had formed around Sasuke's intended target. Kidōmaru took advantage and spewed a massive web out of his mouth that enveloped Sasuke and stuck him between two trees.

'Damn it!' Sasuke internally berated himself for being trapped as he struggled against the webs. 'My entire body is caught; I can't break free. And I can't risk using any fire without burning myself.' With his frustration mounting, Sasuke refocused his chakra and stamina to breaking free of the webs, allowing the Curse Mark to emerge and spread across his bound body.

Kidōmaru clicked his tongue. "You shouldn't use that so loosely. It will really fuck you up."

Sasuke felt the Curse Mark's power begin to flow through his veins. "Oh yeah? Maybe I'll use it to really fuck _you_ up."

Kidōmaru shook his head. "It seems you don't have much control over the Curse Mark. By the looks of it, you're still in the first stage of things and still don't have much control over it. But if you keep 'releasing' the seal like that then the seal will slowly invade your body. It's spreading fairly slow…however, when it's taken over your body completely…" Kidōmaru allowed his own Curse Mark seal to spread across his body in twisted, entwining lines. "You will lose all your free will and become Lord Orochimaru's slave forever."

Sasuke stopped struggling and looked on in surprise. "Lose my free will?"

"To gain something, you must be willing to lose something else. To gain the power you want, you must give yourself to Lord Orochimaru."

Sasuke let the words sink into his mind. In his current state, he was nowhere near strong enough to take down Itachi and avenge his clan. And even with Naruto's help, they were no match for his elder brother. But what Kidōmaru was saying made sense to Sasuke. It was only logical to sacrifice one thing in order to achieve another. If that one thing was important enough; nothing else mattered. And all that mattered to Sasuke was Itachi's dead body.

"But still, why would Lord Orochimaru want some weak-ass like you? Kimimaro had much more potential than you, more than all the Sound Four put together. Oh well, I guess I shouldn't be doing this under his strict orders to capture you…but I don't care..."

Kidōmaru's Curse Mark unleashed further and began to change his body completely. His skin became dark red and his hair turned a ghostly grey and grew untamed. His fingernails turned into sharp claws. Horns grew out his forehead, shoulders, and elbows.

"…I want to prove to Lord Orochimaru that I'm the perfect vessel for him! Killing you will be the ultimate test of vindication!"

Sasuke looked on in complete shock and disbelief. What on earth was Kidōmaru turning into? "Just what the hell are you?!"

Kidōmaru bared his fangs with a malicious smile. "This is what the Curse Mark evolves into. This is the second level. You can only achieve this form if you allow the seal to take over your body and you fully submit yourself to Lord Orochimaru."

"The second level?" Using his Sharingan, Sasuke could see the heavily increased amount of chakra and power flowing through Kidōmaru's body. He could not only see the power but he could feel it as well, his chakra amount must have increased, at least, ten-fold. "Unreal…"

" _This_ is what Lord Orochimaru is offering you! You'd be stupid not to take the offer. But like I said before…" More golden webbing flowed out of Kidōmaru's mouth and formed into a hardened bow and arrow with a single strand of webbing to act as the bowstring. "I'm going to prove I am the perfect vessel. You can't be alive for that to happen."

"You keep saying you want to be the perfect vessel. Vessel for what?"

Kidōmaru set the arrow in the webbing and brought the string to the corner of his mouth. He lined up his shot: the bridge of Sasuke's nose between his eyes. "Lord Orochimaru has a taste for the eternal. He needs vessels that will carry his soul throughout eternity…and I will be the next one. Goodbye, Sasuke Uchiha, it's been a fun game."

Kidōmaru steadied his slight swaying body and began releasing the grip on the bowstring…that is until he could no longer move. It felt like he had been trapped inside some kind of paralysis. A long shadow had merged with his that led off behind some burnt brush.

"Man, that was too close." A lazy, yet stressed, voice said. The person stood from his hiding spot to reveal the lazy genius himself, Shikamaru Nara. "I didn't think my shadow was going to make it in time before you let go of your arrow, but it still was a success."

 **-Memorial Stone-**

"How are you feeling, Neji?"

Neji had regain consciousness some time ago and was now sitting up against a tree. His sensei tried to help nurse his injuries but Gai was even less talented in the medical field as he was in genjutsu. He basically had to deal with the pain until he could see an actual medical ninja. "I'll be fine. Just give me a few minutes to regain some strength."

Gai nodded in understanding and walked over to the Memorial Stone, itself, to examine it. He walked around the memorial to see if he could find any oddities or any type of clue that would hint where the Scroll of Seals was, but there was nothing that indicated anything. "Where could it be?"

"Gai sensei! Neji!"

The pair of master and student turned to the sound to see Lee, another member of their team, along with Naruto and Sakura coming into the area. Lee saw the state of his rival and ran up to him in a very dramatic fashion.

"Neji! Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

Neji had to physically push Lee back from toppling over him with his overbearing 'care'. "I'm fine Lee! Just get off me!"

Lee regained himself and rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. "Sorry Neji."

Neji waved off the apology, then watched the pair of Team Seven members walk up to him and Lee. "…Naruto, huh…" For some reason, he wasn't really all that surprised that he'd show up.

"Neji…what happened?" Sakura questioned.

"That Kabuto fellow did this to Neji." Gai said, approaching the group. "Me and Kakashi got here just after their battle."

"Kabuto?!" Sakura gasped. The memory of their battle in the Forest of Death was still in her mind. "Where is Kakashi sensei?"

Gai's face hardened with dejection, for reasons unknown to the rest. "Kakashi took off after Kabuto in order to stop him once and for all."

Naruto nodded in understanding. Keeping his focus on the objective at hand, he looked at the Memorial Stone. "Did you find the scroll you were looking for, sensei?"

Gai shook his head. "No, not yet. I've looked around the memorial but couldn't find anything out of place or a clue of any kind. Maybe we're still looking in the wrong place."

"What are you looking for?" Neji questioned in a pained voice.

"Orochimaru has cast a very powerful jutsu on some of our ninja that cause them to attack their comrades." Gai answered. "We need to find a scroll that holds the release jutsu. The only clue we have to go from is a riddle."

"What's the riddle?"

"Protected by heroes." Sakura answered. "Besides the Hokage Faces, the Memorial Stone was the only place we could think of."

Neji nodded. The Memorial Stone had the names of those who gave their lives in the sake of Konoha's safety and future and whose acts were considered beyond the call of their duties etched on the stone. "I see. I'll use my Byakugan to see if I can find anything."

"Are you sure, Neji?" Lee asked in concern. "You don't have a lot of strength."

"I have enough to activate my Byakugan for a few moments. It'll be more than enough time to see if anything is here."

Naruto nodded. "Do it, Neji."

The veins around Neji's eyes protruded and became visible through his skin. His vision instantly transformed to a full radius of three hundred and sixty degrees and he saw everything that was around him. He focused his attention on the stone itself and noticed something under it. It looked a cubbyhole or some type of compartment underneath the stone. "There, I see something. Underneath the stone."

"What is it?" Gai asked.

"A secret compartment. I can't make out what's inside but there is definitely something inside. There's an access point on the far side of the side, on it's base." With that, Neji's dōjutsu deactivated and he lost his extreme vision.

"I'll check it out."

Naruto approached the stone and walked around to the side Neji saw the access point. He ran his hand across the base and felt nothing different. He knocked on random spots and stopped when he heard the hollow sound he was looking for. He had found the cover for the opening. He tried a few different ways to figure out how to uncover the opening and finally did when he simply pushed the section of rock in.

"I found it!" Naruto yelled as he reached in and pulled out a single scroll. "Huh?"

"What is it, Naruto?" Sakura questioned as she and Gai ran up to the blonde.

"All that's in there is this one scroll." Naruto stated. "I thought the scroll would've been bigger."

"It is." Gai agreed. "The Scroll of Seals is a massive scroll that contains forbidden jutsu that dates back to the days of the First Hokage. This must be another red herring…"

Naruto looked at the scroll and saw no other option but to open it. "Maybe it'll give us another clue." He unraveled the scroll and pulled it open. There was no text but different formulas and seals that Naruto knew very well. He smirked.

"What is it, Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"It's a storage scroll." The blonde said as he laid the scroll on the ground. "The old man gave me a few when I first got to the village and taught me how to use them."

Naruto slammed his hand on the seal and a plum of smoke followed. The smoke cleared and three items appeared. A large scroll and two wooden boxes, one carved with the Sarutobi clan symbol and the other labeled with the kanji symbols for _Hiraishin_. (Thunder God)

"That must be it!" Sakura shouted.

"Yes, it is!" Gai confirmed. "That is definitely the Scroll of Seals!"

Naruto paid no attention to the large scroll and focused solely on the _Hiraishin_ box. He instantly felt drawn to the box, like he had some type connection to the contents or the box itself. He had never seen the box before in his life but, for some reason, he knew it belonged to him, or, at least, the contents did.

"We need to get this to Lady Tsunade immediately!" Gai said in his youthful enthusiasm. "She'll be able to use the release jutsu on a big enough scale for the whole village to be freed from Orochimaru's jutsu."

Suddenly, a large rumble echoed through the earth. The group of shinobi steadied themselves as the rumbled died out and disappeared. They looked around and saw three massive creatures that towered over the village: a purple snake, a white with blue strips slug, and a red toad.

"Are those…?" Sakura's question trailed of in shock.

"Things are really heating up over there." Gai pointed. Seeing the Sannin bring out their summons and how serious the situation was becoming made Gai think that Kakashi was having a rough time with Kabuto without his Sharingan. "Okay, here's the plan." The group turned their attention to the jōnin of the group. "I'm going to back-up Kakashi, he's going to need help against Kabuto. Naruto and Sakura, I need you two to bring the scroll to Lady Tsunade. But do not engage in any fighting with Orochimaru, you won't win."

"Actually, I've fought-"

Gai ignored Naruto and continued to talk. "And Lee, you will stay here and protect Neji. He needs more time to recover from his injuries. Does everyone understand what needs to happen?" The group nodded. "Good. Now…execute!" Gai disappeared instantly with his speed.

Naruto picked the massive scroll up and hoisted it onto his shoulder, he was a little surprised by how light it was. He took one more look at the box, still feeling this unknown connection to it. He wanted to open it and learn it secrets but decided against that. He had a mission to complete and Sannin to defeat.

"Let's go, Sakura!"

"Right behind you!"

 **Quick Author's Note: Hey everyone. Sorry this chapter took so long. I had it going twelve different ways in my head and rewrote it close to five or six times before I decided on something that resembled the finished product. Plus, life took over and had to focus on other things going on. And even when I had time to write, my mind would wander about future storylines and scenes that I want to include at some point (most of which won't happen until the Shippuden Era of my story unfortunately). So, again, sorry this one took longer than usual. I'm already working on the next chapter so I hope that it will come out better and faster than this one. Catch ya on the next one. Deuces.**


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